UCLan appoints new group chief executive

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Group has appointed Richard Hext as its new group chief executive.

Richard, aged 56, joins the UCLan Group having built a career within the international shipping industry where he has held a variety of senior executive positions.

Richard said: “I am delighted to be joining such a forward thinking university group whose board is committed to making further investments at home while seizing opportunities in the large and growing international higher education market. Providing a world-class educational experience for all our students, both at home and abroad, is our shared vision and core priority.”

“A key factor in our selection decision was Richard’s considerable experience of working in a commercial, international environment on a variety of complex projects. Coupled with his outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and his evident empathy with higher education, I feel we have made an exceptional appointment.”

His previous roles include five years (2005-2009) as deputy chairman and subsequently chief executive at Pacific Basin Shipping, a listed Hong Kong-based shipping firm; and 22 years (1978-2000) with John Swire, a major UK-owned, Hong Kong-based conglomerate. In 2010 Swire invited him to rejoin the board of China Navigation, their shipping subsidiary, as a non-executive director. He will retain his existing non-executive board appointments and is a member of the Hong Kong Advisory Board of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.