Dr Paul Feldman, currently an executive partner at Gartner UK, has been appointed as Jisc’s new chief executive with a start date in mid-October 2015. He has extensive experience of working at a senior level in large, complex IT organisations. Paul takes over from Professor Martyn Harrow who, over the past four years, has transformed the organisation to better meet the changing needs in UK universities and colleges.
Dr Feldman has a strong commercial background having spent over 20 years in retail financial services at Nationwide Building Society, Barclays Bank and First Data EMEA, both in IT and business roles. He has also worked in knowledge-based IT companies including Thomson Reuters Legal UK and the Intellectual Property Office.
He has a track record in introducing innovative solutions, was in the vanguard of the first moves to use the internet for commercial purposes, and led the work that resulted in same-day payments between bank accounts.
Dr Feldman said:
“Jisc plays a pivotal role in helping the UK’s higher education, further education and skills sectors reinvent, adapt to change and make savings through the shared services, collective deals and advisory support it provides. Now, more than ever, universities and colleges need this kind of body and advice to help them take advantage of the opportunities digital technology offers to transform research, teaching, learning and organisational culture.
“Martyn and his team have made great strides in transforming Jisc. I look forward to building on this success and the solid foundations he has laid.”
David Maguire, Jisc chair, added:
“Our organisation exists to help colleges, universities and learning providers to thrive and perform at the forefront of international practice by fully exploiting the power of digital technologies.
“I want to pay tribute to the work Martyn Harrow and his team have done here. Jisc today is significantly different from the organisation he came into four years ago; we are stronger, sharper and more agile, with a solid customer service ethos at our heart.
“Paul’s appointment will help take us to the next level, further supporting the critical work of universities and colleges.”
