News and Events

New Chair for Bournemouth University Board

New Chair of the University Board to focus on the continued quality of the student experience offered at BU.

The former Chief Executive of Poole Hospital has become Chair of the Bournemouth University Board.

Sue Sutherland, OBE, succeeds Alan Frost who recently retired after five years as Chair. Sue is especially looking forward to working closely with her fellow Board members and the University community. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the Board of such a successful and highly-regarded organisation as Bournemouth University and I look forward to working closely with members of the University’s Executive and Leadership Teams,” she said. “The continued quality of the student experience offered by the University lies at the heart of everything we do and I shall be meeting with staff and students over the coming months as I’m keen that we ask for their input on how we might support our Vision over the long term.”

A member of the BU Board since 2006, Sue is well-known for her leadership as Chief Executive of the Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust where she improved patient satisfaction, hospital efficiency and financial performance. She previously made a major impact at the UK Transplant Special Health Authority where, as Chief Executive, she reversed a decade’s decline in NHS solid organ and cornea transplantation services, increasing the organ donation rate and delivering a record number of transplants in the UK. Her work there led to the award of an OBE.

Sue originally qualified as a nurse and midwife before embarking on a postgraduate qualification in Human Resources Management at the University of Westminster. In the 1980s, she joined Marie Curie Cancer Care as Personnel Manager before holding a series of senior management roles at the Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust including Director of Nursing, Director of Human Resources and Director of Operations. She became Chief Executive of UK Transplant Special Health Authority in 2000 and joined Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2005.