Before joining the Academy, Sue held various higher education roles, including Director of the Centre for Academic Practice (CAP) at the University of Warwick; Head of Research in the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) at Coventry University; and Professor of Education and head of a large Education Department at Nottingham Trent University. She has also been a QAA Auditor and Subject Reviewer and, more recently, was a Specialist Adviser to MPs in the House of Commons Select Committee Inquiry into ‘Students and Universities’, which reported in July 2009. She is currently Chair of the national Staff Development Forum (SDF).

Sue believes she has benefited from a ‘portfolio’ career in education. After teaching in schools and FE/Tertiary colleges as far apart as London, Glasgow, Manchester, Ayrshire and Staffordshire, she worked in six very different universities (Keele, Staffordshire, Liverpool, Nottingham Trent, Coventry and Warwick) and in roles ranging from part-time lecturing through to senior management. Sue’s research interests, consultancy and publications have been focused predominantly around continuing professional development and educational leadership/management, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which effective leadership development can help to create and sustain productive learning environments – for both students and staff.