The Senior Leadership Team, led by the President, is responsible for the overall strategic management, development and promotion of the University.
Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein CBE FREng – President of City St George's, University of London
Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein joined City St George's as the University’s President in June 2021.
Anthony joined City St George's from his position as the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security, which he had held since 2015. During that time, Anthony’s research was based at The Alan Turing Institute and he held a Chair in Software Systems Engineering at University College London (UCL). Prior to this, he was Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Head of UCL Computer Science. His scientific work is in the broad area of systems engineering.
Contact the President
Senior Leadership Team
The Senior Leadership Team, led by the President, is responsible for the overall strategic management, development and promotion of the University.
Professor Elisabeth Hill – Deputy President and Provost
The Deputy President and Provost is Deputy Chair of SLT.
Professor Elisabeth Hill has been appointed to role of Deputy President and Provost at City St George's.
Professor Hill joined legacy City as Deputy President in September 2022. She has responsibility for shaping and delivering the Strategic Transformation Programme to enable the realisation of City’s vision and strategic plan (2022-30). Elisabeth is the senior lead for delivery of the requirements and benefits of the merger.
Elisabeth was previously Deputy Warden at Goldsmiths, University of London. She held this role since 2017 and the role of Pro-Warden (Learning, Teaching and Enhancement) since 2015.
Professor Elisabeth Hill's biography
Contact Elisabeth: Roseann McBride; Executive Assistant
Professor Juliet John – Vice-President (Education)
Professor Juliet John is responsible for the strategic leadership of all teaching and learning activities.
This includes leading in developing the educational experience and wider engagement of students to ensure a first-class student experience for our diverse student community.
Prior to her appointment, Juliet was the Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences.
Professor Juliet John's biography
Contact Juliet: Parveen Sodhi; Executive Assistant
Professor Susannah Quinsee – Vice-President (Digital and Student Experience)
Professor Susannah Quinsee is responsible for the strategic leadership of the digital offer and wider student experience.
This includes leading improvements to our educational approaches together with our need for a Digital Vision to support a transformed student experience.
Professor Susannah Quinsee's biography
Contact Susannah: Parveen Sodhi; Executive Assistant
Dr Sionade Robinson – Vice-President (Enterprise, Engagement and Employability)
Dr Sionade Robinson is responsible for strategic leadership of all activities relating to enterprise, engagement and employability across the University.
This includes a particular focus on enhancing and developing and strategic relationships with external partners and other organisations.
Dr Sionade Robinson's biography
Contact Sionade: Parveen Sodhi; Executive Assistant
Professor Jon Friedland - Vice-President (Research and Innovation)
Professor Jon Friedland is responsible for strategic leadership of all activities relating to Research and Innovation across the University.
This includes developing a research environment and culture that enables highly impactful research, as well as working with external partners and other organisations.
Professor Jon Friedland's biography
Contact Jon: Luke Stead; Executive Assistant
Professor Jessica Jones Nielsen - Assistant Vice-President (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI))
Professor Jones Nielsen joined City, University of London in March 2013 as a Reader in Psychology and serves as Assistant Vice-President (EDI).
She earned her PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Florida in 2010, researching treatment adherence among Hispanic primary care patients. After postdoctoral clinical training at Duke University, she spent two years as a Research Associate at Imperial College London before joining City.
Professor Diana Beech – Assistant Vice-President (Policy and Government Affairs)
Professor Diana Beech joined City St George’s, University of London in April 2025 as Director of the Finsbury Institute, the University’s new public policy hub, and also serves as Assistant Vice-President (Policy and Government Affairs).
Diana holds a PhD in German from the University of Cambridge and has held leadership and policy roles in higher education and within national government, including as Chief Executive of London Higher and Policy Advisor to three UK Universities and Science Ministers.
Professor Debra Salmon – Vice-President (Strategic Projects)
Professor Debra Salmon is the Executive Dean of the School of Health & Psychological Sciences.
For the last twelve years Debra has undertaken a significant number of leadership and management roles shaping the future of health care professional education. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active member of the Council of Deans.
Professor Debra Salmon's biography
Contact Debra: Luke Stead; Executive Assistant
Professor André Spicer – Executive Dean, The Bayes Business School
Professor André Spicer is Executive Dean of the Bayes Business School as well as Professor of Organizational Behaviour.
Prior to his appointment André was Head of Faculty of Management at Bayes Business School.
Professor André Spicer's biography
Contact André: Jenny Williams; Executive Assistant
Professor Richard Ashcroft – Executive Dean, The City Law School
Professor Richard Ashcroft was appointed Executive Dean of The City Law School in December 2022.
He joined The City Law School in September 2019 as Deputy Dean and Professor of Bioethics. He is the University’s lead for sustainability as well as being the University’s neurodiversity champion.
He is an expert on biomedical research ethics and public health ethics, with more than 200 publications in these fields.
Professor Richard Ashcroft's biography
Contact Richard: Melanie Goinden; Executive Assistant
Professor Natalie Armstrong – Executive Dean, School of Health & Medical Sciences
Professor Natalie Armstrong joined City St George's as Executive Dean of the School of Health & Medical Sciences in January 2025.
Natalie is an internationally recognised health services researcher whose work uses ideas and methods from the social sciences to better understand, and seek to address, problems in the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
Prior to joining City St George’s, Natalie was the Deputy Head of the College of Life Sciences at the University of Leicester, having previously been a Head of Department. As part of her role, Natalie was also the University-appointed Non-Executive Director to the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group.
Natalie’s appointment as the inaugural Executive Dean of the School of Health & Medical Sciences at City St George’s, followed the completion of the merger between City, University of London and St George’s, University of London. As part of her role, Natalie is delighted to be the University-appointed Non-Executive Director to the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group (GESH).
Professor Natalie Armstrong's profile
School of Health & Medical Sciences
Professor Rajkumar Roy – Executive Dean, School of Science & Technology
Professor Rajkumar Roy is the Executive Dean of the School of Science & Technology and is leading on the development of City’s STEM Digital Academy.
Prior to his appointment, Raj was Director of Manufacturing at Cranfield University. He is a fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineers, the Institute of Engineering Designers and the Higher Education Academy.
Professor Rajkumar Roy's biography
Contact Rajkumar: Gabrielle To; Executive Assistant
School of Science & Technology
Professor Anna Whitelock – Executive Dean, School of Communication & Creativity
Professor Anna Whitelock is the Executive Dean of the School of Communication & Creativity (from 1st August 2022). Prior to her appointment she was Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences on an interim basis.
She is also Professor of the History of Monarchy at City, University of London and Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy as well as the Principal Investigator on a major AHRC project: The Visible Crown: Queen Elizabeth II in the Caribbean: 1952-present.
Professor Anna Whitelock's biography
Contact Anna: Susanna Fabbri; Executive Assistant
School of Communication & Creativity
Professor Charles Lees – Executive Dean, School of Policy & Global Affairs
Professor Charles Lees joined City on 1 August 2022.
He was previously a Professor of Government as well as Dean (People and Resources) in the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University, Australia.
Professor Charles Lees's biography
Contact Charles: Elena Panteli Poulli; Executive Assistant
School of Policy & Global Affairs
Helen Watson – Chief Operating Officer
Helen joined City’s Senior Leadership Team as Chief Operating Officer in February 2022.
Helen came back to City after five years at Goldsmiths University of London, where she was Chief Operating Officer and Registrar and Secretary. Before that she worked for six years at the University of Oxford where she was Director of Planning and Resource Allocation, Head of the Council Secretariat and a Fellow of Exeter College.
Helen worked previously at City, from 2001-2010. She held a variety of roles including Head of Administration for the School of Allied Health Sciences and Deputy Academic Registrar; she also set up and lead City's Strategy and Planning Unit. Helen read music at Exeter College, Oxford and has a Masters in Higher and Professional Education from the Institute of Education.
Helen is an elected member of the Executive of the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA). She was previously on the Board of the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association (HESPA).
Contact Helen: Laurel Melsom; Executive Assistant.
Matthew Swales – Chief Financial Officer
Matthew Swales joined City St George's as Chief Financial Officer in January 2024, bringing extensive knowledge and experience.
Previously, Matthew was Director of Finance at UCL from 2015, where he led key projects like the merger with the Institute of Education, the creation of a Professional Services Hub, and UCL’s debut public debt offering – the first sustainability bond in the sector. He also led a reset of the university’s investment strategy.
Before UCL, he was Group Head of Finance at London Business School and worked on tax planning for London 2012. He began his career at Deloitte’s.
Contact Matthew: Laurel Melsom; Executive Assistant
Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman - Chief People Officer
Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman was appointed Chief People Officer at City St George's, University of London, in February 2025.
Prior to this role, she served as Group Chief People, Culture, and Communications Officer at Commercial Services Group.
Her career includes the notable positions of Chief People Officer at the City of London Corporation, Group Chief People Officer at London South Bank University, as well as Head of Human Resources at the BBC.
Marcelle also contributes as a Non-Executive Director for the North London NHS Foundation Trust, where she chairs the People and Culture Committee. She has extensive expertise in people management, developing inclusive cultures, and leading transformational change.
Contact Marcelle: Laurel Melsom; Executive Assistant
City, University of London merged with St George’s, University of London on 1 August 2024 to become City St George’s, University of London. We are currently operating under a dual-running model, so you may still see references to our legacy institutions.