Vicki has been Chief Executive of QAA for two years, during which time she has overseen the suspension and reinstatement of QAA on the European register of Quality Assurance Agencies, which led the Agency to demit from the role of DQB. She was a witness in person to the recent House of Lords inquiry into the Office for Students and has provided advice to government on not only matters of regulation, but also delivery of the lifelong learning agenda, drafting the legislation to criminalise provision of essay mill services, and the delivery of high-quality provision during the COVID pandemic.

Prior to joining QAA, Vicki was Bursar (COO) at St Hugh’s College Oxford. She has also worked at the University of Birmingham as Director of Strategic Planning and in various roles at Warwick University and Warwick Business School. She started her career in higher education at UMIST, where she worked in international student recruitment. Vicki worked on the Scottish Government inquiry into infant cremation practices, and has experience in the commercial and charity sectors, having run her own company and been director of a charity working with women and families affected by domestic abuse.

Vicki is a graduate of Manchester University, and Harvard Kennedy Business School from where she holds a qualification in the Strategic Management of Regulatory Enforcement Agencies.

Current connections with HE institutions (other than employment):
Relative studying at University of the West of England.

Connections with professional and subject-based bodies:
Member of the University and College Union.

Alastair joined QAA at the beginning of 2020 and has responsibility for a range of functions including: Membership & Quality Enhancement Services; International & Professional Services; Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland; Quality Assurance England; and Marketing & Events. He is also the lead for QAA's European engagement.  Alastair is a member of the Executive Team and acts as Deputy CEO.

Until recently, Alastair was QAA's Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Before joining QAA, Alastair was Director of Quality Assurance at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, where he was responsible for quality assurance work in the NHS, and the regulation of independent healthcare. Previous to this, Alastair was the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Inspection for Education Scotland. In this role he was responsible for the independence, quality, delivery and future direction of all Education Scotland’s scrutiny work, from nurseries to further education. Alastair joined HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) as an HM Inspector in 2000 after having worked in Community Learning and Development in both the local authority and voluntary sectors.

Eve Alcock is Director of Public Affairs at QAA where she leads the organisation’s policy, stakeholder relationships and communications work. She is also a Fellow on Aspen UK’s Rising Leader fellowship programme. Prior to QAA she spent two years at the Clean Air Fund, an international charitable foundation tackling air pollution globally, where she worked across communications, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Eve has previously chaired QAA’s Student Strategic Advisory Committee as an independent board member. Her background in the higher education sector comes from two years as President of the University of Bath’s Students’ Union where she was also a governor of the University and Chair of the SU’s Board of Trustees. She is passionate about social justice, Korean food and good coffee. 

Caroline became Finance Director at QAA in 2019, having previously worked as Head of Finance and Planning. She is responsible for the strategic management of QAA's financial resources and planning.

Prior to joining QAA, Caroline was Head of Finance for Karen Millen and Director of Finance at Nelson Thornes. She also has extensive experience of working as an accountant and auditor across a number of different industry sectors. Caroline is a graduate of the University of Manchester.

Ailsa is responsible for the management and delivery of QAA’s membership experience and services, and will provide oversight of the development of the UK Quality Code and other sector standards.

Ailsa joined QAA in 1998 and has worked in a number of roles, most recently as Head of Quality and Enhancement at QAA Scotland. She introduced innovative elements, including the Focus On projects, with groups of institutions working collaboratively to enhance policy and practice. Ailsa previously worked at what is now Universities Scotland and at the Robert Gordon University. She is a graduate in Economics and Politics from the University of Aberdeen, and more recently has developed a keen interest in creative writing and holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Glasgow. Ailsa also has a postgraduate diploma in management.

Kathryn has significant senior level public policy experience, shaping strategy and managing complex stakeholder environments to deliver a positive impact for learners and staff.

Kathryn joins QAA from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the tertiary education and research authority in Scotland, where she was Assistant Director, Access, Learning and Outcomes. She had strategic oversight for SFC’s quality assurance and enhancement agenda across further and higher education provision in Scotland’s colleges and universities. This included leading the development of the high-profile recommendation within SFC’s Review of Sustainability and Coherence - for a tertiary approach to quality. Kathryn also leads SFC’s quality agenda at UK level, including relationships and collaboration with partners across Wales and Northern Ireland.

Before her career at SFC, Kathryn managed Community Education and Education for Sustainability programmes across a range of non-departmental public bodies and universities.

Eduardo is responsible for the portfolio of QAA’s international services, including the international membership services, accreditation, consultancy and QE-TNE (quality evaluation and enhancement of UK transnational education). He leads on international partnership building, ensuring the Agency continues to work with governments, agencies and institutions globally to benefit UK higher education and its international reputation.

Prior to this role, Eduardo worked on education internationalisation for Spanish agency ICEX-Invest in Spain, Audencia Business School in France, St George’s, University of London and Universities UK International. He holds degrees from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the UCL Institute of Education.

Rob is Director of Assessment Services and Access to Higher Education at QAA. He joined QAA in 2022 and was responsible for leading the Designated Quality Body function, until QAA ceased to perform that role in March 2023. This included working closely with the Office for Students, and the delivery of our methods to assess quality and standards for new providers, providers seeking degree-awarding powers and the external quality assurance for end-point assessment organisations (also working with IfATE). 

Previously, Rob held senior roles at the OfS and HEFCE, and has experience in student protection, the regulation of independent providers, teaching funding policy, the design and operation of student number controls, and a background in student experience policy and practice from earlier roles.

Tom leads the Governance team and Executive office, and is QAA’s Company Secretary. He also has responsibility for the Policy & Communications and Marketing & Events teams.

Tom trained as a management and strategy consultant in London and Chicago, and worked mostly for public-sector clients, as well as an in-house role at the law firm Freshfields.  In 2005 he joined the Civil Service, where he held a series of policy positions in competition, energy and climate change, and several communication roles including as a press officer and as a ministerial speechwriter.  He was a spending lead in HM Treasury, including at the time of the 2010 Spending Review. His final Whitehall role was at UK Government Investments, the UK Government’s centre of excellence in corporate governance and corporate finance.  In 2017 he took a position as Vice President Strategy at the National Nuclear Laboratory, before joining QAA in April 2020.