Dr Peter O’Brien has been named as the new Executive Director of YU, the membership association representing all 12 higher education institutions in Yorkshire.
A local and regional development specialist, Dr O’Brien joined YU as an associate in 2017 and has made a significant contribution to the economic development and place-based leadership work of YU ever since.
He joins YU having been previously Deputy Local Growth Consultant at the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Professor Koen Lamberts, Vice Chancellor of the University of York and Chair of the YU Board of Directors, said: “Peter was selected from a very strong field. He demonstrated real enthusiasm and outlined a clear plan to take YU forward and to continue to add value to the diverse contributions individual universities make to the region’s economy and communities”
Commenting on his new post, Peter said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Executive Director of Yorkshire Universities. Universities play a vital role in national, regional and local economies, and offer so much to individuals, communities, businesses and local places. YU is a unique association. Our priority is to make sure that the collective voice of universities in Yorkshire is heard loud and clear both nationally and within the region.”
