Richard Middleton OBE

Richard has been the senior administrator, or on the executive team, of 10 universities since 2007 - working as an interim COO supporting and guiding universities through periods of change. During that period he was also a Commissioner on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and for 7 years the Chair of the Commission. The role was to develop the best strategy for providing £30m of postgraduate scholarships to the best students from developing nations in the Commonwealth. Richard was awarded an OBE in 2022 for his contribution to the Commonwealth and to Higher Education. His most recent interim job was as COO at University of Southampton, through the two years of Covid pandemic.

Between 1979 and 1994 Richard worked with several charities in central London, enabling single homeless people to get into work and settled in their own home. During that time Richard trained in mime at the City Lit and regularly attended London’s dance and mime festivals.

For 15 years Richard worked in the health service and medical research - in Northern Ireland and The Gambia, as well as in England. Throughout his career Richard has been a trustee for a variety of charities focusing on social or cultural opportunities.