ALARM Higher Education seminar

James Coe

Partner, Counterculture

James leads consulting firm Counterculture’s higher education work where he has worked with universities on communications, risk management, and policy development. He is also Associate Editor for Research and Innovation at Wonkhe. He is the former Head of Sustainability Policy and Civic Engagement and advisor to the Vice Chancellor at the University of Liverpool. James is the author of The New University Local Solutions to a Global Crisis, and holds a Masters in Public Administration.

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Chaitali Desai

University of Bristol

Chaitali is the Head of Research Compliance at the University of Bristol. She is a qualified solicitor with over 16 years’ experience in the private legal sector, before joining the HEI sector in 2021. She began her career in higher education as a team of one just as the sector was waking up to the impact of expanding national security regulation, developing widespread awareness, training, and understanding of how partner engagement and research collaboration can be safeguarded in a shifting geopolitical landscape. She has designed and developed process and policy in a heretofore unknown area at the University and secured growth of the team to eleven members by 2025, expanding the scope of expertise they can provide. The Team is responsible for advising senior management and academics across the breadth of the institution in relation to the application of Export Control Regulations, the National Security & Investment Act, the Nagoya Protocol and ABS legislation, UK Subsidy Control, the Trusted Research agenda, and the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. Chaitali is currently leading a sector advisory group to create sector-wide Trusted Research and research security training for HEIs.

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Kate Gallagher

Partner, Browne Jacobson

Kate is the head of the Higher Education team, having been General Counsel at the University of Nottingham for 18 years, where she established and led a full-service in-house legal team.

She has significant experience as a senior leader in Higher Education and in advising on the wide range of legal, regulatory and governance issues arising in the Higher Education sphere. She is an experienced employment, public and regulatory lawyer and has a special interest in free speech, whistleblowing and social media in the workplace, including policy writing and development.

Kate also has extensive experience in complex staff and student dispute and advisory work, in dealing with cross-border legal issues and matters connected to reputation management and incident response.

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Leah Jones

Partner, Browne Jacobson

Leah specialises in public and commercial insurance litigation, with a focus on the higher education and social care sectors. She supports clients with their most complex and sensitive claims, providing a seamless approach from outset to conclusion.

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Stan Neal

Sector Specialist - Education, Waterstons

Stan Neal has wide-ranging experience of the higher education sector in both academic and strategic roles at different institutions. Most recently, Stan worked in the Strategic Planning and Insight Team at Durham University and now uses his experience within the higher education sector to help institutions use technology to realise goals, efficiencies and innovations. With a background in data analysis, strategic planning and insight, he has worked alongside senior teams to understand challenges, and drive change.

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Kathryn Oldfield

Partner, Kennedys

Kathryn is a Partner in Kennedys' Local Authority and Abuse Team. Kathryn specialises in public sector and liability defence work, with considerable experience dealing with catastrophic injury and abuse matters, as well as having particular expertise in employers’ and public liability work.

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Richard Young

Director, Uniac

Richard is a Director at Uniac – a provider of internal audit services to HE institutions.  He has over 30 years’ experience that has included governance reviews and specific assignments surrounding assurance mapping and risk management frameworks.  Richard also brings a non-executive perspective having chaired audit and finance committees within and beyond HE.

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