The Council is the University’s governing body responsible for approving the Strategy and overseeing its effective delivery.
Comprising up to 18 members, with a majority of independent governors (at least one of whom is an Aston graduate), and including two elected staff members and the President of the Student Union.
The Chancellor (Dr Jason Wouhra OBE)
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Dr Jason Wouhra OBE was appointed as University Chancellor in June 2024.
Dr Wouhra, who was awarded an honorary doctorate for his contribution to entrepreneurship and business development by the University in 2014, is the fifth Chancellor to be appointed to this office since its inception. Not only is he the first Chancellor of Asian heritage to stand, but he is also the youngest.
A highly experienced company director and successful entrepreneur, Dr Wouhra has been involved with businesses in the West Midlands for many years and has contributed widely across the UK and internationally through his work on various boards, as well as significant civic and philanthropic roles.
Chief Executive of Lioncroft Wholesale, one of the UK’s leading independent wholesale businesses, Dr Wouhra was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2017 for services to business and international trade.
Prior to Lioncroft Wholesale, Dr Wouhra was a director of his family business East End Foods plc, one of Europe’s most successful Asian food ingredients businesses. East End Foods was sold in 2019 to private equity, but in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, he bought back the wholesale arm of the business and since then, has transformed it into one of the most successful independent wholesale businesses in the UK.
Dr Wouhra has a degree and masters in commercial law and is an Institute of Directors chartered director. In 2013, he became the youngest and first BAME chairman of the Institute of Directors in the West Midlands.
He was appointed to Aston University Council in June 2020 and has been a strong supporter of the University for many years. He has a deep personal commitment to the role that education can play in opening opportunities for young people of all backgrounds and an understanding of the wider contribution universities make to the economy and society as a whole.
As an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader of Asian heritage, he has demonstrated what inclusive growth success looks like in Birmingham and the Midlands.
Pro-Chancellor (Dr Matthew Crummack)
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Dr Matthew Crummack was appointed as Pro-Chancellor of Aston University in April 2024.
Matthew is the Chief Executive Officer of the Domestic & General Group. He is an experienced business leader having led the transformation of big consumer-facing digital brands across different geographies. Previously, he was the Group CEO of GoCo Group plc prior to its sale in 2021 to Future plc for $794m, and the CEO of lastminute.com Group where he led the turnaround of the business prior to its sale to Bravofly Rumbo Group for $120m in 2015.
Prior to that, Matthew was Senior Vice President of Lodging at Expedia, managing the supply of hotels and transportation inventory for the global group, and started his career in consumer goods across Europe at Procter & Gamble and Nestle.
Matthew is active in the business and investment community, also serving as a Non-Executive Director and advisor to London start-up Kidadl. Matthew graduated from Aston University with a BSc in International Business and Modern Languages in 1993 and in 2016 was made an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University. He is a visiting professor in the College of Business and Social Sciences at Aston University
Members of Council:
- Pro-Chancellor: Dr Matthew Crummack
- Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive: Professor Aleks Subic
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic: Professor Osama Khan
- Executive Director of Finance: Craig Jones Professor
- Dr Sue Noffke, Deputy Chair of Council
- Guy Daly
- Dr Nel Moore
- Professor Kiran Patel
- Nick Simkins
- Kathy Cooper
- Tim Pile
- Dr Phil Popham
- Amardeep Gill
- Pending Appointment (Staff member)
- Pending Appointment (Staff member)
- Juan-Carlos Belza (President of the Students Union)