Rachel is currently Assistant Company Secretary at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Rachel has a strong governance background and supports our Board and all aspects of the organisation’s governance including compliance with charity and corporate governance legislation. She also coordinates complaints investigations and appeals and representations from providers on outcomes of QAA reviews. Rachel started her career in higher education 15 years ago at a Lifelong Learning Network and since then has held roles at the Universities of Birmingham, Oxford and Reading. She taught in primary schools for a few years, is a qualified teacher and Chair of governors at her children’s school.

Jim is an experienced higher education leader with a proven record of success. Jim has first-hand experience of the diversity of the sector and the impact that we make for students and communities. Jim is a collaborative leader who is dedicated to developing service excellence and delivering organisational change through coaching and mentoring. He is passionate about the role of the Association of Higher Education Professionals in supporting colleagues to fulfil their career ambitions.

In addition to his current role, Jim has held positions at the University of Portsmouth, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton, the University of York, and York St John University.

Nikki is Registrar (Academic) and Secretary to the Board at De Montfort University, where she is responsible strategic oversight of governance, compliance and all aspects of our academic administration and student services.

Prior to joining DMU, Nikki was Academic Registrar and Director of Student, Academic and Information Services for over seven years, where she was responsible for Registry and Student Administration, Student Services, Library Services, and IT Services. She also led the development and implementation of the university’s Access and Participation Plan. As a member of the Academic Registrars Council (ARC), Nikki chaired the Student Loans Company Stakeholder Operations Group, and was a member of the SLC Stakeholder Forum. Nikki has also worked at Leeds Beckett University, and several higher education institutions in London, including King’s College London, University College London, Imperial College London, and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.  

Nikki completed a first degree and an MPhil in Social Anthropology at Swansea University and holds an MBA in Higher Education Management from the University of London.  She has been a proud member of AHEP/AUA for over 20 years. In her spare time, Nikki enjoys cooking, long-distance running, and walking with her border collie, Jasper, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Emily Maddock Khan (she/her) is a Higher Education professional with over 15 years experience in the sector. She is Head of Student Journey at De Montfort University, responsible for International Student Services, student fees and finance, timetabling and attendance and exams and awards. She is a Fellow of AHEP and is a DBA candidate in Higher Education Management at the University of Bath, with research focused on EDI, HE staff development, AI, globalisation, and decolonisation, and is a member of the International Centre for Higher Education Management and the Society for Research into Higher Education.  

Emily has previously worked in registry, international development, admissions, and teaching across five UK universities, two HE colleges, and one pathway provider. She completed the AUA PgCert in HE Administration, Management and Leadership in 2022.