Friday 16-10-2020 - 12:05

The Trustee Board is delighted to announce that Alan Roberts from Counterculture has been appointed Interim CEO. Alan is an associate at Counterculture, and the team at Counterculture will be providing additional support to the students' union for the duration of the appointment. Alan has been appointed to cover a period of parental leave for our current Interim CEO, Misbah Ashraf.

Alan (pictured) brings a wealth of experience in the students’ union sector, having held a variety of roles, including Interim CEO, along with work as a consultant. He is also one of the team from Counterculture who are already working with the SU on the governance and democracy review.

The union is currently in the process of recruiting a permanent CEO, a process that students will be included in, with interviews due to be held in November. Alan joins the union as Interim CEO on October 19 and is expected to be in the role for around five months, to allow the recruitment process to be completed and the new appointee to take up the position.

The Trustee Board would like to thank Misbah Ashraf for her work as Interim CEO since January. She has guided the union through an exceptionally challenging period, including managing the many and varied impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. We wish her well for the coming months and look forward to welcoming her back to the union at the end of her leave.

Oliver Robinson, Chair of the Trustee Board, said: “We look forward to welcoming Alan to the union. His close link with CounterCulture and experience in a number of different students’ unions will be invaluable in shaking up our governance and bringing our democratic structures up to scratch.”

Alan Roberts, Interim CEO, said: ““We are at a crucial point in Higher Education in such uncertain times, and I am excited to support the team at the students' union. I look forward to getting to know Lancaster’s students and staff over the coming months.”