National education leader joins University of Leicester’s governing body

A leading national figure in Higher Education has joined the University of Leicester’s governing body to help it shape its future direction.

Mary Curnock Cook CBE is best known as former chief executive of UCAS, the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service, between 2010 and 2017, where she championed equal education outcomes for young males who were falling behind their female counterparts.

Prior to that, Mary, who has joined the University’s Council as a lay member, was director of qualifications and skills for the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority (QCDA), an agency of the Department for Education.

She was awarded an OBE in 2000 and promoted to CBE for services to Further and Higher Education in 2020. 

Mary said: “Leicester is a wonderful university and, unusually, combines research intensity with a highly diverse student profile.  It will be an absolute privilege to serve its students, staff and community as a member of the governing body.”

University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “I am delighted to welcome Mary to the University of Leicester family. She is an outstanding appointment given her national profile and everything she’s achieved in the education sector.

“What impressed me about Mary, in particular, is her passion for the student experience and her determination to make Higher Education accessible and fulfilling for all. I am confident her contributions will help as we progress into our second century.”

Mary now has a portfolio of non-executive education-related roles including chairing the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology and Pearson’s UK qualifications business, and as a trustee at River Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust in Oxfordshire. 

Her portfolio is rooted in her interest in the student experience, in addressing disadvantage and innovation in education. She regularly contributes to policy development in higher, secondary and technical education and maintains an active network and interest in EdTech developments. 

She has vast experience spanning the whole system of education and skills. Mary has previously held non-executive roles at the Further Education Funding Council, the Open University, and the Student Loans Company.  During Covid, she chaired the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission.

Mary left school at 16 with a clutch of O-levels and one A-level but filled the gap in her qualifications at the age of 41, undertaking the Sloan Masters Programme at London Business School, from where she graduated in 2002 with an MSc.

The Council is the University’s supreme governing body. Council is responsible for taking all final decisions on matters of fundamental concern to the institution, including the University’s academic mission and strategic direction. It is responsible for ensuring that the systems, structures, procedures and rules for the running of the University are fit for purpose, that the University is being managed effectively, and that its legal obligations are being met.