Professor Les Ebdon CBE has been Director of Fair Access to Higher Education since 1 September 2012. Before this appointment, Professor Ebdon was Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire.That followed an illustrious career in analytical chemistry, including more than 250 publications and several awards. He obtained his PhD at Imperial College, London then lectured at Makerere University in Uganda and Sheffield Hallam University, before becoming Reader in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Plymouth.

Professor Ebdon was promoted to a personal chair in 1986, became Head of Environmental Sciences in 1989 and then, in the same year, Deputy Director. He was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) in 1992. He remained in that position until 2003, when he became Vice Chancellor at the University of Luton. He was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire in 2006.