How to: recruit non executives who genuinely strengthen your institution
This blog was kindly authored by Julia Roberts, Founder and Principal Consultant at Julia Roberts Advisory.
It is the second blog in our four-part ‘How To’ series that focuses on recruitment in higher education leadership roles. The first blog, on working with executive search, can be found here.
Universities need Boards that can think clearly, challenge constructively and anticipate the pressures shaping the sector. That requires more than simply strong CVs: it requires a deliberately balanced mix of perspectives, experiences and capabilities that collectively enhance institutional judgement.
Non executive recruitment is not about avoiding risk; it is about equipping your institution to navigate it.
Be precise about the skills you actually need
Boards rarely struggle to list the strengths they already possess. The real work lies in identifying the capabilities they do not yet have and being honest about where decisions feel harder than they should.
A strong Board will typically benefit from three broad sources of insight:
• Higher education experience, which is invaluable for understanding regulatory context, governance expectations, stakeholder dynamics and policy pressures. This perspective accelerates the Board’s ability to read risk and spot implications early.
• Commercial experience, particularly where large-scale financial stewardship, technological change, market volatility or customer-driven transformation have shaped organisational strategy.
• Public sector experience, which brings deep expertise in accountability, stewardship, complex partnership working and operating within high scrutiny environments.
Be explicit about expectations
NED roles in universities are far from light touch. Policy shifts, regulatory intervention, financial constraints and public scrutiny mean that governance requires real commitment.
Be ambitious, especially in areas where capability gaps are growing
The demand for Board level literacy in AI, cyber security and digital resilience has become strategically essential. A Board does not need technical specialists in every seat. But it does need members who can recognise the strategic implications of AI adoption, interrogate cyber risk plans with confidence and understand what good looks like in digital maturity.
A final thought
Non executive recruitment is one of the few levers that genuinely shifts institutional capability. When you make the right appointments, you broaden the institution’s strategic horizon and strengthen its resilience.
Be clear about the skills you need, be clear about the expectations of the role, and be ambitious in building a Board with a balanced mix of higher education, commercial, public sector and digital expertise including AI and cyber insight.
Comments
Jonathan Alltimes says:
Universities need to think about their purpose, their organisation and their functions. Non-executive directors could be appointed for each function identified by the university. Functions could include:-
Teaching and research
Student recruitment and public relations
Accounting and finance
Organisation and administration
Strategic planning and innovation
Personnel and general counsel
Facilities management and development
The Institute of Directors quote the 1992 Cadbury Report:
“Non-executive directors should bring an independent
judgement to bear on issues of strategy, performance,
resources, including key appointments, and standards of
conduct. ”
Ultimately, the recommendation of appointing NEDs points to the issue of social norms in corporate governance rather than missing specialist advice, as the idea of independent judgment must be with reference to a comparative rule and standards not affected by a direct interest in the business, but the report is referring back to events occurring over 35 years ago, so the UK Corporate Governance Code has redefined the role as:
“Non-executive directors should have sufficient time to meet their board responsibilities. They should provide constructive challenge, strategic guidance, offer specialist advice and hold management to account.”
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