The University is today announcing that Dr Giles Carden has been appointed as our new Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer.
Giles, who is currently Chief of Staff and Director, Strategic Projects at Lancaster University, will work alongside other colleagues on the development and monitoring of the new University Strategy and its supporting strategic plans, act as a project director on specific transformational projects of institutional significance, and facilitate the progress of university-wide initiatives and objectives.
As a professional services leader and a member of UEB, he will report directly to the Vice-Chancellor providing high level advice, support and guidance to the whole senior leadership team on a diverse range of issues and policy as well as providing an overview on the coherence and implementation of our exciting new strategy.
Giles has worked in higher education administration for over 27 years, primarily in functions related to information management, analytics and strategic planning. Before joining Lancaster in 2017, he spent twenty years at the University of Warwick, the last four of which were as Director of Strategic Planning and Analytics. Giles has a PhD in Geochemistry from the University of Liverpool.
He will start at Southampton on 1 October 2022.
Professor Mark E. Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “There was an extremely competitive field for this role which showed the real attraction of working for the University of Southampton. Giles greatly impressed the selection panel with his enthusiasm for the University, his strategic insight, knowledge of the HE sector and his track record in initiating projects.
“Giles will play a key role, in ensuring we deliver our new University Strategy at pace, are able to respond with greater agility to external opportunities and threats, and will facilitate a more joined-up approach to delivering strategic plans across the University”.
Giles Carden said: “’I am incredibly excited to be joining Southampton later this year, at a point when the University is in the early stages of implementing a bold and exciting new Strategy that aims to build on the breadth and depth of its existing strengths. I am looking forward to working and collaborating with colleagues across the University to help support the delivery of a wide range of ambitious plans.”
