The first ever group Chancellor and senior executive team for the new London & South East University Group (LASE) have today been announced by the University of Greenwich and University of Kent.
The new multi-university group will come into effect as a legal entity on 1 August 2026, as a result of the merger that was confirmed by the two universities in February, when contracts were formally exchanged.
YolanDa Brown OBE DL, who was appointed Chancellor at the University of Kent in 2024, will step into the role of inaugural group Chancellor on 1 August.
Meanwhile, the Right Honourable Lord Paul Boateng, who is coming to the end of his second term as Chancellor at Greenwich, has agreed to continue supporting the group after 1 August in the role of Pro-Chancellor.
Alongside these honorary roles, Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, currently Acting Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Kent, has been appointed as the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy CEO designate for LASE following a formal recruitment process.
She will work alongside current University of Greenwich Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane Harrington, who has already been confirmed as the Vice-Chancellor designate of the new multi-university group.
Professor Jane Harrington said: “I am delighted to announce our first ever Chancellor Designate and Pro-Chancellor Designate, along with our senior executive designate, for the new London & South East University Group.
“It is testament to the vision of the project that we have so many talented and dedicated people across both universities, who can assist us with making the new, first-of-its-kind super-university an outstanding institution for students, staff, local communities and partners – anchored in the regions we serve with a global reach.
“These appointments mark an important step as we move towards completion and the start of the new group, ready for the new academic year.”
Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura said: “I wholeheartedly believe that the new super-university will only strengthen our two institution’s abilities to deliver real impact and I am delighted to be a part of this exciting partnership.
“There has been phenomenal work undertaken already to get us to this stage and I look forward to completion and the start of an exciting new chapter with the London & South East University Group.”
The senior executive designate for the new organisational senior structure has also been announced following a carefully managed process agreed by both university boards. The new team includes new Group roles, who will be supported by a number of transitional fixed term roles. This will ensure there is sufficient senior capacity during the transitional period and that organisational memory from both Greenwich and Kent is retained in the new multi-university group during its founding years.
About YolanDa Brown OBE DL
YolanDa Brown OBE DL was appointed Chancellor of the University of Kent in April 2024, marking a special full circle moment for her as a proud Kent alumna. She graduated from Kent Business School with a first-class undergraduate master’s degree in European Management Science with Spanish, before going on to complete a second master’s degree and undertake a PhD.
YolanDa is an award winning musician, broadcaster and highly respected figure within the UK’s creative industries. She currently serves as Chair of the BPI, the organisation behind the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize and was previously Chair of Youth Music. She sits on the national council of Arts Council England, the Arts and Media Honours Committee, an ambassador for The King’s Trust and recently awarded the Freedom of the city of Newcastle.
YolanDa said: “University was a defining chapter in my life. It was where I developed many life changing skills, formed lifelong friendships and learnt the importance of perseverance, resilience and courage through adversity.
“I am deeply honoured to take up this new position with the London & South East University Group. This role allows me to continue my cherished relationship with the University of Kent, while beginning an exciting new chapter with the University of Greenwich through this inspiring merger.
“I believe the London & South East University Group will build on the excellent work already being led by both institutions and help shape a bigger, bolder new era for higher education in the UK.
“Both universities share values that align beautifully. I look forward to helping foster a diverse, inclusive and vibrant community that delivers world class education, research and tangible impact not just across the South East of England, but around the world.”
About Lord Paul Boateng
The Right Honourable Lord Paul Boateng was formally inaugurated as the fifth Chancellor of the University of Greenwich in 2019 and has served two terms in this role.
Lord Boateng, a barrister who first rose to prominence as a campaigning civil liberties lawyer, has a long and distinguished political career as an MP for Brent South (1987-2005) holding many ministerial positions, including Minister of State (Home Office) and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and was Britain’s first Black cabinet minister in 2001.
Lord Boateng said: “It has been an absolute privilege, as I approach the end of my term, to steward the University of Greenwich as Chancellor since 2019.”
“I am proud that both universities stand for inclusion, opportunity and excellence in education and I am excited to see the impact this new partnership will no doubt have on its communities.
“I remain committed to helping the new group build on the strengths of both Greenwich and Kent and am excited to see it grow and flourish, along with the staff, students and communities it supports.”
“As I said at my first graduation as chancellor at Greenwich, this is only the beginning. The best is yet to come.”
The posts will start at completion of the merger on 1 August 2026. Between now and then, the new senior executive designate will begin the work of looking at future ways of working and any potential changes to structures. No further decisions have been made about future organisational or structural changes at this stage.