Beth Beasant started as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Operations, Change and Innovation) at the University of Leeds in January.
Previous to that she was the Executive Director of Faculty Operations at University College London, leading professional services across UCL’s 11 faculties.
With 20 years in higher education, from strategic planning at Exeter to heading Engineering faculty operations and leading a 130-strong student administration team at Surrey, Beth has built her career on delivering transformation from within. At UCL, she progressed from Director of Operations in Laws and Medical Sciences to a university-wide role. She’s driven institution-wide change in 3 universities including assessment digitisation, degree apprenticeships, and major service redesigns.
Beth focuses on practical, internally-developed solutions that adapt to changing needs whilst recognising the local and sector context. Her approach centres on building strong teams and supportive environments, all essential for navigating the complexities of research-intensive universities.
To hear from Beth and other expert speakers, register your place for the SUMS Annual Conference 2026 here!
