Vicki is the Chief Executive of The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), and the President of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). Vicki has spent the last two decades navigating complex challenges and driving positive change in leadership roles across the breadth of the higher education sector.

At QAA, Vicki has provided expert advice to government on critical issues such as quality assurance, lifelong and online learning, academic integrity, and contributed to the development of landmark legislation to ban essay mills. Her insights have been sought by policymakers, and she frequently represents the UK higher education sector on the global stage.

Prior to joining QAA, Vicki was Bursar (COO) at St Hugh’s College, University of 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. Previously, 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 The University of Manchester, 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.

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.

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.