About the Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor

Sir David Normington is the University’s Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor. Sir David began his first term of office as Chair and Pro-Chancellor on 1 August 2017. Prior to this, Sir David has served as an Independent Member of Council since August 2011. Sir David serves on the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Honorary Degrees Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

Sir David was a civil servant for 37 years, working in the fields of employment, education and criminal justice. He was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2005, at a time when the Department was responsible for further and higher education and skills in addition to its responsibilities for children and schools. From 2006 to 2010 he was Permanent Secretary at the Home Office leading a department with over 30,000 staff and responsibility for controversial issues like immigration and law and order. He worked with five Home Secretaries over his five-year term as Permanent Secretary and led a major transformation programme to restore the Home Office’s capability and reputation.

After retiring from the civil service at the end of 2010, Sir David was the First Civil Service Commissioner and the Commissioner for Public Appointments from April 2011 to March 2016. In these roles he regulated appointments to the civil service and public bodies, seeking to ensure that they were on merit after fair and open competition.

Sir David received a KCB in 2005 and was appointed GCB in the 2011 New Year’s Honours list. Sir David has an M.A.(Oxon) in Modern History and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development. Sir David is a Trustee of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a member of the advisory board to Westminster Abbey and a governor of the Royal Ballet.