Governance

The Open University was established by Royal Charter in 1969 and is governed by two statutory bodies: the Council and the Senate.

For detailed information about The Open University’s formal governance structure; please visit the OU website.

In addition, OUBS has appointed an International Advisory Board (IAB) which works closely with the Executive Dean and management team, in an advisory role, to provide international business and management expertise to support the delivery of our research and teaching.

International Advisory Board members

Dr Sadia Ahmed

Innovation Director

Sadia is an experienced business leader with a demonstrated history of working at the forefront of innovation and R&D, often working at the intersection of business, academia, industry and policy.

Sanjeeb Chaudhuri

Independent Director and Audit Committee member, Aditya Birla Group

Sanjeeb's current portfolio includes Retail, FinTech and Marketing Tech businesses. As well as Independent Director and Audit Committee member at Aditya Birla Group, he is a founder Director of Stab, a UK registered FinTech platform for real estate brokers.

Dr Rajeev Gupta

Consultant paediatrician, NHS, Barnsley Foundation Hospital, Chairman, International Business Federation

Rajeev is a well-respected Consultant Paediatrician with 30+ years medical experience and 20+ years of experience as a Senior Clinical Lecturer at The University of Sheffield.

Gillian Hannon

Pharmaceutical executive

Gillian is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with expertise in global drug development specifically around scientific affairs procurement and vendor management for biotech and large pharmaceutical/medical device companies including Mundipharma, GSK, Roche and BTG.

Tillmann Henssler

Manager EDI, Pfizer

Tillmann Henssler, graduated from the OU Business School with his MBA in 2000 while living in Germany. Currently working as a Manager for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, Tillmann has much commercial experience in pharma, procurement and DEI.

Edward Marram

Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Geo-Centers, Inc

Dr. Marram has taught business practices to faculty, graduate students, and entrepreneurs in the United States, South America, and in both Eastern and Western Europe and has developed executive training programs in Scotland and in France.

David Monk

Executive Clinical Director

David completed his BSc (Hons) (Open) and Master of Business Administration at The Open University Business School between 2004 and 2012 while working full-time for the NHS.

Dr Jay O’Connor

Partner, Euler Partners

Jay is a senior advisor to organisations on stakeholder governance, communications, and change and transformation, collaborating with boards and senior management teams across diverse sectors, geographies and organisations, including global businesses, start ups, research institutions and non-profits. 

Namrata Sarmah

Chief Product Officer at INTO University Partnerships

Namrata is a a strong supporter of Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace, and is a popular voice in the Women in Product & Tech community. She is a Board Advisor at a few startups in London.

Sara Vermeulen-Anastasi

Senior Leader

A senior leader with 25+ years expertise marketing, communications and sustainability, Sara has extensive experience in supply chains, innovation, and digitization working for fast-paced and transformative industries from pharma and food to hi-tech, geospatial, and logistics.

Nick Wilkinson

Chief Executive Officer, Strategist, Entrepreneur, Advisor, Author, Screenwriter, Director and Producer

Nick is a senior business executive with extensive general management experience coupled with expertise in the global software and information technology services industry.