Andy is responsible for Consultancy and Business Development.

In this interim deputy chief executive role Andy is overseeing key areas of the Leadership Foundation's day-to-day business in preparation for merger with the HEA and ECU.

He is an experienced higher education consultant who has worked with universities and higher education colleges and sector agencies for over sixteen years. Andy supports university and agency executive teams and governing bodies in delivering strategically critical transformation initiatives. His main focus is upon shaping, supporting and evaluating reviews of institutions’ future direction, assessing board and senior team performance, effectiveness and cohesion; and assessing and responding to the impact of changes in government policy at a sectoral and institutional level. His experience encompasses over 30 UK and overseas HEIs and all of the sector’s main agencies, representative bodies and funding councils, typically working to chief executives and vice-chancellors.

He is the lead author of Universities UK’s current guidance to governing bodies on the appointment of senior staff and vice-chancellors. Andy has been an active member of the Hefce /Leadership Foundation Innovation and Transformation Fund Steering Group and also of Universities UK’s Diamond review implementation panel.

Previously Andy founded and led Capita’s higher education advisory business for five years and prior to that Oakleigh’s higher education consulting practice.

Helen Baird is a Managing Consultant within the Leadership Foundation’s growing strategic consultancy team. She is a highly experienced management consultant and researcher who has delivered numerous successful strategic and organisational change management projects and studies over the past 18 years, the majority in the higher education sector.

As well as working with a broad range of different types of higher education providers across multiple functions and at all levels, Helen has also provided consultancy to most of the sector’s key bodies and agencies.  Her work focusses predominantly on: reviewing and helping shape organisations’ future direction at the overall organisational, individual functional or programme level; and researching and evaluating the impact of changes in government policy, at sectoral and institutional level.

Helen’s work has contributed to national policy development and her recommendations and advice have helped secure strategic change required at organisational, functional and programme levels for many organisations. Prior to joining the Leadership Foundation, Helen has spent the majority of her career working for commercial consultancy practices.

Kim Ansell is a Managing Consultant within the Leadership Foundation’s growing strategic consultancy team. She is an experienced management consultant and strategic development advisor who has independently delivered numerous successful strategic reviews and interim management projects over the last 7 years.

Kim’s main clients have been in professional education and professional membership organisations and she has worked across professional and higher education creating strong partnerships and high performing projects. Kim has also provided support to Boards in professional education and HE sector agencies to support business development, strategic planning and growth.

Her work at Leadership Foundation focusses predominantly on: reviewing and helping shape organisations’ future direction, developing high performing partnerships, and scoping, testing, validating and embedding new business opportunities. 

She brings to Leadership Foundation a fresh perspective on international development, commercialisation, product and partnership development and strategic change. Her 7 years consulting was underpinned by 20+ years in a professional accounting body where she gained a grounding in student and member growth, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, funding academic research, product development, international development and publishing.