Hull Alumnus Returns to Lead University Council
A University of Hull graduate with more than 25 years' experience at the head of public sector organisations is to return to the city to lead the University into a prosperous future as the new Chair of the Council.
As the Chair of the University of Hull Council, George Garlick OBE will help shape future strategy for the institution and joins at a time when it is undergoing a period of substantial transformation.
George has worked as a teacher and a solicitor but has been at the forefront of public sector organisations since the early 1980s, even spending time as a senior officer with the former Humberside County Council.
More recently he has spent the past 24 years in the North East as Chief Executive of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and then Durham County Council, where he led the integration of eight local authorities into a single organisation with 20,000 employees and a £1bn annual spend.
He will take up his position on 1 September this year and says: "It's a great honour to be joining the University of Hull at a time when it has big ambitions to transform and reinforce its position as one of the country's leading institutions.
"The higher education sector faces significant challenges, but the University is well placed to seize on opportunities for the benefit of students, at the same time as attracting and developing skills that are vital for the economic growth and prosperity of our region and beyond.
"I hope to be able to share my experiences of transforming major organisations and help support the University leadership team as they work to deliver on a vision of creating a fairer, brighter and carbon neutral future. I've been inspired by what the University is aiming to achieve and am excited to be leading the Council as we pursue those ambitions."
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull, Professor Susan Lea, adds: "George has extensive experience of leading major, diverse organisations and will bring an exceptional set of leadership skills to our institution.
"He was selected to lead the University Council following a thorough and robust selection process and I am sure will be a valuable asset.
"George has a proven track record of delivering significant improvement in diverse organisations such as ours and we are looking forward to learning from his experience and working with him to help shape the University's future.
"I'd also like to offer my sincere appreciation to Dr Keith Hopkins for assuming the role of interim Chair of the University of Hull Council for the past 14 months. I know that I speak for us all when I say that he has provided exceptional leadership over this period. Keith has been an important part of the Council for 11 years, also serving as Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee."
George is also Chair of Thirteen Housing Group which is the largest Housing Association in the North East. He was awarded the OBE in 2007 for his services to local government.
"It's a great honour to be joining the University of Hull at a time when it has big ambitions to transform and reinforce its position as one of the country's leading institutions.
George Garlick OBE, University of Hull Council
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