Dr Alex Bols is Deputy Chief Executive of GuildHE, which represents 60 smaller and specialist universities and colleges across the UK. He works closely with the CEO in developing and managing all aspects of the organisation’s mission and strategy. He leads GuildHE’s policy on a number of areas, including quality assurance, international and immigration, governance, environmental sustainability, free speech and teacher education, and he sits on various sector-wide groups, including as a member of the UK-wide Standing Committee on Quality Assessment, HEFCW’s Quality Assessment Committee, the Home Office’s Education Sector Forum and observing the AdvanceHE Board.
He is on the Board of Governors at Writtle University College and Rose Bruford College, having recently finished eight years on the Board at the University College of Osteopathy (including three years as Board Vice Chair). He was a school governor for 16 years, chairing two primary schools and a secondary school and helping establish a Federation of two secondary schools, two primary schools and a Teaching School Alliance. He recently completed his Doctor of Education at UCL’s Institute of Education and was previously Executive Director of the 1994 Group and Head of Higher Education at NUS.