Sir Stephen Wall announced as next Chair of UCL Council

Sir Stephen Wall has today been named as the new Chair of UCL Council.

Sir Stephen will take over from the current Chair, Lord Woolf, on 1 April.

Sir Stephen Wall has been a lay member of UCL Council since 2005, having spent 35 years in HM Diplomatic Service, including postings as Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister and as Britain's Permanent Representative to the European Union. He is currently Vice Chair of Business for New Europe, a trustee of the Thomson Foundation and a member of the Franco-British Council. He is honorary President of UACES.

The 20-member Council is the governing body of UCL. It has a mix of internal and external members, and meets regularly to review the strategic direction of the University. The office of Chair of Council is a pro bono position with important responsibilities for promoting the efficient and effective governance of UCL. The Chair works closely with the Provost & President and Council members as well as other senior academic and administrative officers of UCL.

UCL Provost & President Professor Malcolm Grant said: "I believe that the huge experience Sir Stephen brings to the role of Chair of UCL Council will bring great benefit to our university. I look forward to working closely with him as we look to further develop UCL."

Stephen Wall said: "The number of news stories about UCL as innovator and achiever is a measure of this university's dynamism. It is an exciting place to be involved in. It is also an institution with a real sense of responsibility to its staff and students. I feel very fortunate to have been chosen."

Notes for Editors

1. For more information or a photograph, please contact Dominique Fourniol in the UCL Media Relations Office on tel: +44 (0)20 7679 9728, mobile +44 7881 833 274, out of hours +44 (0)7917 271 364, e-mail d.fourniol@ucl.ac.uk