Our Directorate
Professor David Tidmarsh BSc (Hons), PhD, CEng, FIMechE, FCMI
Vice-Chancellor
David Tidmarsh was appointed Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University in January 2007. Before this he was Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University for two and a half years.
Previously he was a Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Central England and also Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Technology Innovation Centre, having established the company. Prior to this he was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Technology. He has worked in both the Higher Education sector and industry, with previous senior appointments at Sheffield Hallam University and the Rover Group.
David has been involved with Millennium Point from its conception, in both the delivery of the Technology Innovation Centre and in the building of Millennium Point itself. He is a Trustee of the Millennium Point Trust and also a Director of Millennium Point Property Limited.
Ms Sally Westney BA, Cert Ed
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Sally Westney has worked at Birmingham City University for 10 years. She became the first Pro-Vice-Chancellor with specific responsibility for student issues in August 2003.
Areas of responsibility include: departments and facilities which support students, e.g. Library and Learning Resources, Accommodation, Catering, Security, Student Services, International Students; student satisfaction surveys; and equality issues.
Prior to this she was Director of Student Services and has a secondary teaching/counselling/psychotherapy background
Ms Maxine Penlington BA
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Maxine Penlington carries particular responsibility within the senior management team for corporate operations generally and for strategic planning.
She joined Birmingham City University in 1989 with initial responsibility for the academic administration and for corporate governance matters. Maxine has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA) since 2001.
She is also Executive Secretary to the Committee of University Chairs, having succeeded David Fletcher in that role in October 2009.
Ms Christine Abbott BA (Hons), MA, DMS
University Secretary
Christine Abbott joined Birmingham City University in November 2009, and is responsible for all matters of governance, legal and statutory compliance. She is Company Secretary and Clerk to the Board of Governors.
Christine was previously Director of Strategic Planning at the University of Birmingham for seven years, and was also acting Academic Registrar during some of this period.
Her areas of professional expertise include risk management, business intelligence and performance measurement, on which she has written and spoken widely.
Mr Richard Spilsbury BSc, MSc, FCA
Director of Finance and Resource Allocation
Richard is responsible for leading and overseeing the financial management of the University and for financial planning, monitoring, reporting and control.
He is also responsible for treasury management, allocating University budgets and liaising on finance issues with HEFCE and various agencies, including the region’s Strategic Health Authority.
After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, Richard worked in both plcs and private companies before joining the University (then Birmingham Polytechnic) in 1989.
Professor Mary Carswell MBA, BSc, Chartered MCIPD
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Professor Mary Carswell leads on the University’s approach to learning and teaching, and to academic quality assurance and quality enhancement.
Her higher education background is in business schools and she has also worked in further education, industry and the NHS.
She is a QAA auditor and has had extensive involvement in higher education issues at a national level.
Organisational Structure
You can also download a version of our organisational chart, which shows both the Executive and Faculty Management Structure.
Our Organisational Structure