Interim Co Vice-Chancellors to lead LSBU
LSBU is delighted to announce that while we undergo the recruitment process to find a successor to current VC and CEO, Professor Dave Phoenix, two proven leaders will step into a shared role as Interim Co Vice-Chancellors and Chief Executive Officers.
Professor Deborah Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Professor Tara Dean, Provost will together lead London South Bank University and the LSBU Group.
In their new interim roles, Professor Dean will become the Accountable Officer for the University, deepening her oversight role for LSBU and will continue to be responsible for University Executive Board.
Professor Johnston will become the Accounting Officer for South Bank Colleges and the Principal Accounting Officer for South Bank Academies. She will continue to lead most Group professional services and will take on some VC and CEO responsibilities for both the Group and the University.
The Group Executive will continue to be responsible for all aspects of collective decision making and the Chair of Group Executive will rotate between the two Co Vice-Chancellors.
Read more about Deborah and Tara:
- Deborah Johnston is a Professor of Development Economics. She joined LSBU in April 2020, coming from the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education role at SOAS University of London, which she held for over four years. She completed an undergraduate degree in Economics, an MPhil in the Economics and Politics of Development at Queens’ College Cambridge and a PhD in Economics in 1997 from SOAS University of London and has split her career across academia, charities and government. Her academic work focuses on inequality and poverty and she was awarded an MBE in 2024 in recognition of her work to make higher education more accessible for students who stammer.
- Taraneh (Tara) Dean is a Professor of Health Sciences and an internationally recognised authority in the epidemiology of allergic disorders. She joined LSBU in September 2021 as Provost, the University’s chief academic officer. Originally from Iran, Tara came to the UK aged 16, as an international student to complete her education. She completed her first degree in Biological Chemistry at the University of Essex and obtained her PhD from Kings College in London in 1989. She is passionate about promoting gender equality in academia and advises on guidance and criteria to appropriately recognise equality and diversity considerations in REF submissions.
Speaking about this ‘job share’ arrangement, Dr Andreas Raffel, Chair of the Board of Governors, said: “I am delighted that Deborah and Tara accepted to jointly lead the Group during this interim period. This ‘job-share’ role will benefit the University and Group by ensuring continuity, consistency and stability and through their combined experience in tackling challenges and delivering successes within tertiary education.”
Reflecting on this new opportunity, Professor Johnston and Professor Dean said: “We are honoured and excited to have this opportunity and look forward to carrying on working with colleagues across the LSBU Group to deliver excellent experience for our student community and support our staff community to achieve the ambitions we have set in our corporate strategy.
“We have a long history of working together to help the Group achieve its goals and this interim appointment allows us to continue to work together and with the rest of the Executive to ensure LSBU can move forward successfully through this moment of transition.”
Outgoing Vice-Chancellor and CEO, Professor Dave Phoenix said: “I’m delighted that the Board has seized this opportunity to appoint Deborah and Tara as Interim Co Vice-Chancellors. Their combined experience and commitment to the LSBU Group vision and mission makes them excellent candidates to continue to take the organisation forward in the interim.”