Alan Langlands is the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England responsible for promoting and funding high quality education and research in universities and colleges with higher education programmes.

He was formerly the Principal and Vice Chancellor at the University of Dundee (2000-2009) and Chief Executive of the NHS in England (1994-2000). He also has a particular interest in the scientific basis of health services and he chairs the boards of UK Biobank and the Health Foundation. He is also a co-opted member of the Office for the Strategic Coordination of Health Research. Alan was knighted in 1998 for his services to the NHS, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He also holds a number of honorary degrees and fellowships and has also been awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Dundee and Edinburgh.