A transformation expert, Aya adds valuable experience in strategic change and portfolio management to the SUMS Consulting leadership team. Her appointment is aligned with the SUMS Group’s ambitious plans for growth as it seeks to further support the needs of its members and clients across the Higher Education sector, both in the UK and internationally.
Aya combines experience in commercial consulting with a proven track record of delivering transformational change as a university leader. Aya spent seven years with PA Consulting, leading projects across their Government and Education practices, before taking up a role as Programme Manager for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She then led change programmes in a variety of senior interim roles at a diverse range of institutions, including University of Westminster, Kingston University, King’s College London and UCL, before becoming Director of Change & Improvement at the University of East London. As an independent consultant, she has delivered projects for clients including the European Central Bank in Frankfurt and TDC Group in Denmark. Aya also supported the merger of City University and St George’s, University of London and built change capability and capacity at Copenhagen Business School.
A graduate of the University of Bath, Aya is an ILM Level 7 coach and accredited as a practitioner in frameworks including Prosci Change Management, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and PRINCE2. She is also a trained ProcessFix facilitator and is currently studying for an MSc in Business Psychology.
Joel Arber, Group Managing Director of SUMS Consulting said: “We are absolutely delighted that Aya is joining our team on a permanent basis. She’s been part of the SUMS community for several years, firstly as a client and then as an associate. This gives her insight from both sides of the fence that will be invaluable as we seek to continue our growth journey and consolidate our position as the UK’s leading specialist HE consultancy. Aya’s experience of leading transformation and driving high-performance teams will help us to deliver even higher quality consulting and even better value-for-money for our members and clients. It’s a very exciting appointment at a critical point in our strategic development.”
Introducing herself, Aya said: “I’ve known and worked with SUMS for nearly a decade and I’m delighted to join SUMS Group alongside colleagues with expertise in so many disciplines as well as a shared passion for supporting our sector. Higher Education is facing a wide range of challenges that SUMS can help them with, so I’m looking forward to working in partnership with our members as they seek to optimise their effectiveness, the value they deliver for their students, stakeholders and communities, and maintain the UK’s position as an international powerhouse of research, learning and responsible procurement.”
Aya’s appointment in September 2024 builds on recent investment in the core teams of both SUPC and SUMS Consulting. The SUMS Group is committed to recruiting high-calibre talent with the expertise, commercial awareness, and skills to support its members through the unprecedented challenges faced by the sector.
To find out more about how SUMS Group can support your institution, or to contact Aya or any other member of the SUMS team email consulting@sums.ac.uk.
