The University of Bath is delighted to announce the appointment of two new lay members of Council, the governing body of the University.

Jo Rhoden

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Jo Rhoden is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Having trained and worked in London in both audit and consulting businesses she then moved to Sydney, Australia where she continued her career focusing on fast growth companies in the technology and biotechnology sectors. Having worked extensively in audit and due diligence alongside venture capital companies, she then moved into banking taking on a credit risk role.

Jo then returned to professional services as part of a founding team to transform how audits are conducted, combining innovation, data, digital and design techniques to change not just the product but how it is experienced.

Jo built her skills in design thinking and user experience design, running training across the organisation and moved on to lead a client experience program across the global network.

Jo currently leads brand and key relationship programs for a Global Audit & Assurance business, focusing on major market facing issues that affect businesses and individuals in our challenging and complex times.

Jo lives in Hertfordshire with her young son, and in her spare time loves to sing, swim and spend time outdoors.

Professor Anthony Smith

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Anthony has recently retired as Vice Provost (Faculties) and Deputy to the President and Provost at University College London, where he has been since 2012. Prior to his appointment at UCL, Anthony was Principal and Dean of the School of Pharmacy, University of London; a post he took up in 2006. Anthony led the School’s merger into UCL in January 2012.

Anthony has a BPharm and PhD from Bath. After six years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow and Lecturer at Aston University he returned to Bath in 1993 and became Head of the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology in 2002. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, an Honorary Fellow of The School of Pharmacy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

An asset to the University

Both appointments were made following a rigorous and open appointment process, and are subject to a three-year, renewable term, until 2027.

The Chair of Council, Pamela Chesters, said:

I am delighted to welcome Jo and Anthony onto Council. As we move to a slightly smaller Council size, we gave very careful consideration to the skillsets we should look for as part of this recruitment exercise. Jo's expertise in audit and risk assurance and Anthony’s insight into the HE sector will be invaluable as we face the challenges and opportunities ahead. The fact that they are both Bath alumni is a definite and welcome bonus!

Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said:

Congratulations to Jo and Anthony on their appointments. We are so pleased to welcome two alumni back to Bath as members of our Council. With Jo’s audit and assurance expertise, and Anthony’s considerable higher education experience, they are set to make an important contribution to the University’s future success.