We are pleased to welcome five new members to the LUPC Board, with their appointments taking effect from the next Board meeting on 18 September 2026:

• Candace Goad – Associate Director of Procurement and Commercial Services, University of Greenwich
• Claire Pearce – Director of Operations, Universities UK (UUK)
• David Smith – Director of Finance, Royal College of Physicians
• David Kuper – General Counsel and Director of Legal Services, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Samantha Horne – Chief Financial Officer, Royal Veterinary College
  
  

Our new Board members bring a wealth of experience and expertise from across the higher education and wider public sectors. Their knowledge and insight will play an important role in supporting LUPC's continued development and strategic direction, and we look forward to working with them.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Mark Blaney, Finance and Resources Director at the Royal College of Anaesthetists and former LUPC Chair, and Amanda White, Director of Finance at the Royal College of Art, who have reached the maximum nine-year term permitted for service on the LUPC Board. Both will step down following the September Board meeting.

We also thank Irina Bernstein, Group Solicitor and Director of Legal Services at London South Bank University, who will be leaving the Board following her departure from the university.

Mark, Amanda and Irina have each made a significant contribution to LUPC over many years, and we are grateful for their dedication, support and valuable input.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge Joanna McKelvey, Head of Procurement and Contract Management at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who has recently taken early retirement. Joanna has been a long-standing supporter of LUPC and made a valued contribution through her work on the Executive Committee.

Our appreciation also goes to Gemma Isles, who has stepped down from the Executive Committee following her departure from the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. We wish both Joanna and Gemma all the very best for the future.