London South Bank University has appointed Paul Kett, a senior partner at professional services giant PwC and former senior civil servant in the Department for Education, as its next vice-chancellor, in a move that underscores the growing crossover between government, industry and higher education leadership. Kett, who has played a prominent role in shaping national skills and education policy, will succeed current vice-chancellor Professor David Phoenix at a time when the post-92 sector faces mounting financial pressures, intense scrutiny of its value proposition, and accelerating demands for workforce-aligned provision. His appointment signals LSBU’s intent to deepen its focus on employability, technical education and partnerships with business, while navigating a challenging funding landscape and shifting regulatory expectations.
Leadership shift at London South Bank University as former civil servant and PwC partner takes the helm
London South Bank University has turned to Whitehall and the corporate world for its next leader, appointing former senior civil servant and ex-PwC partner Paul Kett to steer the institution through a period of intense policy flux and financial pressure. Known in government circles for overseeing major reforms in skills, apprenticeships and higher education, he is expected to bring a data-driven, outcomes-focused approach to a university with deep roots in vocational learning and social mobility. Early indications from insiders suggest a leadership style that blends commercial discipline with a consultative ethos, aligning institutional priorities with shifting regulatory requirements and tightening funding regimes.
- Background: senior roles in the Department for Education and partnership at PwC
- Strategic focus: employability, productivity and regional impact
- Leadership style: evidence-led, collaborative and reform-minded
- Key challenge: balancing growth with financial resilience and mission
| Priority Area | Indicative Direction |
|---|---|
| Student Outcomes | Sharper focus on progression, skills and graduate earnings |
| Industry Links | Deeper partnerships with employers in health, tech and the built habitat |
| Regulation | Proactive engagement with OfS metrics and compliance demands |
| Campus Investment | Targeted upgrades tied to digital learning and applied research |
Observers say his appointment underscores a wider shift in UK higher education governance, where institutions are increasingly led by figures cozy navigating both public policy and private-sector scrutiny. At South Bank, the move is seen as a calculated bid to strengthen the university’s hand in London’s competitive recruitment market while sharpening its profile as a key player in technical education and local regeneration. Staff and students alike will be watching closely to see how his Whitehall-honed instincts translate into decisions on course portfolios, partnership strategy and the future shape of the university’s widening-participation mission.
What Paul Kett’s Whitehall and consultancy background signals for strategy governance and accountability
Kett’s trajectory from senior roles in the Department for Education to a leadership post at PwC offers a clear blueprint for how strategy may be designed,stress-tested and reported at London South Bank University.Used to scrutinising complex public-service reforms, he is likely to demand evidence-backed decision-making, tighter risk registers and more transparent performance dashboards for council members and external stakeholders. This could mean more frequent impact reviews, a stronger link between budget allocations and student outcomes, and a shift towards board papers that read more like ministerial submissions than campus memos. In practice, that may reinforce LSBU’s ability to defend tough choices on course portfolios, estate rationalisation or regional partnerships when challenged by regulators or politicians.
His consultancy experience adds a commercial layer to that public-sector discipline. PwC-style program management encourages universities to break sprawling ambitions into measurable workstreams,each with clear owners and timelines.Expect a renewed focus on:
- Data-rich KPIs for teaching quality, graduate employability and civic impact
- Structured accountability chains from faculty deans to executive board
- Scenario planning around funding volatility and demographic shifts
- Assurance reviews for major digital and infrastructure projects
| Governance Focus | Likely Shift Under Kett |
|---|---|
| Strategy sign-off | More cross-checking with regulatory and policy risk |
| Project oversight | Formal programme boards and milestone gates |
| Reporting culture | Dashboard-style updates with concise narrative |
| External scrutiny | Proactive engagement with OfS, auditors and partners |
Implications for teaching quality research priorities and widening participation under a data driven vice chancellor
With a leader steeped in consultancy and analytics, staff can expect a sharper focus on evidencing impact in lecture theatres, labs and outreach projects alike. Module evaluations, continuation rates and graduate outcomes are likely to migrate from peripheral dashboards to the center of strategic decision-making, informing which courses are scaled, reshaped or quietly retired. This approach may unsettle academics wary of metrics creep, yet it also opens space for targeted investment where data shows strong student engagement, innovative pedagogy or clear links to local skills needs. In practice, we may see incentives for experimentation in blended learning, closer tracking of assessment equity, and a recalibration of workload models to reward teaching quality on a par with traditional research outputs.
Research agendas are also poised to shift towards demonstrable social and economic value,particularly in fields aligned with public service reform,urban regeneration and health innovation. Under a data-led regime, widening participation is less a moral add-on and more a measurable performance domain, with outreach, access and progression scrutinised through dashboards designed to reveal what genuinely moves the dial for under-represented groups. Expect closer collaboration between academic departments, admissions and community partners, supported by tools that map applicant journeys and flag intervention points. Key priorities could include:
- Targeted access schemes focused on specific London postcodes with low HE participation.
- Evidence-based teaching enhancements to close attainment gaps between demographic groups.
- Practice-led research clusters designed to attract mission-driven funders and industry partners.
- Real-time monitoring of student support usage to anticipate withdrawal risks.
| Priority Area | Data Focus | Intended Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Quality | Engagement, completion, value-added scores | Refined curricula and support |
| Research Strategy | Impact metrics, interdisciplinary outputs | Stronger applied and funded projects |
| Widening Participation | Access, retention, progression by group | Reduced gaps and broader intake |
Recommendations for aligning sector experience student voice and external partnerships in the Kett era
Drawing on a career that bridges Whitehall and PwC, Kett is likely to favour governance models where students, employers and academics co-design curricula.London South Bank University can hard-wire this into decision-making by elevating student governors on key committees, embedding real-time feedback loops in work-based learning, and negotiating reciprocal commitments with sector partners: guaranteed placement hours, joint supervision of projects and shared evaluation of graduate outcomes. In practice, this means shifting from ad hoc advisory boards to structured, data-informed engagement frameworks where partner insight is tested against student experience data rather than replacing it.
- Student voice councils with direct access to faculty and industry boards
- Co-created assessment briefs built with employers and student reps
- Placement compacts setting out rights,support and learning objectives
- Shared performance dashboards tracking inclusion,retention and progression
| Focus | Student role | External partner role |
|---|---|---|
| Course design | Define skills gaps and lived barriers | Signal industry standards and future needs |
| Placements | Report on support,value and inclusivity | Provide mentoring and authentic tasks |
| Impact | Evaluate relevance to career plans | Feed back on graduate readiness |
To maintain legitimacy in an era of heightened scrutiny,the university must ensure partnerships serve the student interest as clearly as they serve local and national priorities. This could include publishing partnership principles, co-authored with the Students’ Union; transparent reporting on who benefits from new collaborations; and targeted schemes for under-represented learners in high-value sectors. Kett’s challenge will be to use his policy and consultancy expertise to turn London South Bank into a civic broker: convening employers, communities and students around shared missions-such as green skills or health innovation-rather than simply selling training solutions into the market.
The Conclusion
As South Bank prepares for this change at the top, Kett’s appointment will be watched closely across the sector. His success will hinge on whether he can translate a Whitehall-honed strategic mindset into tangible gains for students, staff and the local communities the university serves.
In a policy environment still in flux and financial pressures mounting on teaching-focused institutions, London South Bank’s choice of a leader from government and consultancy underscores how seriously it takes the challenges ahead. The coming years will show whether this unconventional hire can provide the stability, clarity and ambition the university is betting on.
