University Board of Directors

What do we do?

The primary responsibilities of members of the Board are to monitor and maintain the solvency of the University and to determine the educational character and mission of the University.

Board Directors take on two roles: one as Trustee of the Charity and one as Director of the University of St Mark & St John (trading as Plymouth Marjon University). Directors are also responsible for annually signing off the accounts of the company. As well as adhering to company and charity law, the Board’s approach aligns with the CUC Higher Education Code of Governance (2026).

For more information scroll down the page to view roles and responsibilities, as defined by the Articles of Association.

Charities Act 2011

The University of St Mark & St John is an exempt Charity by Schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011. We are required to publish the following information:

The legal name and address is The University of St Mark & St John, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8BH.
Plymouth Marjon University is a trading name of the University of St Mark & St John.
The preferred name is Plymouth Marjon University and we are also often referred to as ‘Marjon’.
The Articles of Association, Financial Statements and Trustees are listed on this page.

Financial Statements

The University's Financial Statements can be viewed here:

Value for Money

Value for Money

By attending university, our students are making a considerable investment in their future, both in time and money.

University is a personal experience and there are several ways that we provide good value for money. This will vary between individuals, based on their course of study, needs and interests, and the services and facilities they access.

There are four main ways that we offer value for money by studying with us:

the value that our students get from their experience of university both now and in the long-term as alumni of a well-respected university with global presence
the wider benefit that studying provides including transferable skills and developing career prospects, and
the way that higher education institutions benefit society as a whole
the efficiency and effectiveness with which the university’s finances are managed

Universities are subject to regulation to ensure that we are acting responsibly and fulfilling obligations to our students, for example through the Office for Students and our obligation to publish financial statements.

Who are we?

Our Board Members are:

Prof Mark Llewellyn, (Interim) Chair of the Board (Directly Appointed Director)
Prof John Scott CBE, Deputy Chair of the Board (Directly Appointed Director)
Prof Claire Taylor, Vice-Chancellor (Ex Officio)
Steven Adjei (Bishop Nominated Director)
Michael Baron (Directly Appointed Director)
Guy Bolt (Directly Appointed Director)
Louise Bridgett (Associate Director)
Rt Rev'd Dr Tim Dakin (Bishop Nominated Director)
Kate Doodson (Associate Director)
Rt Rev'd James Grier (Bishop Nominated Director)
Vicky Hatton (National Society Nominated Director)
Charlie Jones (Directly Appointed Director)
Esther Martin, Marjon Student Union President (Student Director)
Eugene McCrossan (Associate Director)
Dr Leah Phillips (Academic Staff Director)
Dr Laura Wallis (Academic Staff Director - Senate)
Pete Waterfield (Professional Services Staff Director)
Jackie Westerman (Directly Appointed Director)
Rev'd Tatiana Wilson (Bishop Nominated Director)

Board Members are all independent, come from a range of sectors and contribute a variety of skills on an unpaid voluntary basis to the Board.

The Board of Directors comprises up to 19 members under three categories of membership including the Vice-Chancellor, Elected Directors and Nominated Directors. The Board may also recruit Associate Directors to serve on Committees.

A short biography of each member and their interests is available here.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The following committees report to the Board of Directors:

How to Apply

From time to time vacancies on the Board of Directors occur and new members are recruited to ensure that the Board maintains a strong combined skill set, diverse membership, and a fresh and dynamic approach. We are always keen to hear from people who are interested in joining the Board and its Committees and welcome all enquiries.

Plymouth Marjon University is committed to inclusion, diversity and social justice, and we know that tackling inequalities and injustice requires sustained proactivity in line with our values of ambition, curiosity, humanity and independence.

The Board advertises vacancies widely and we encourage applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds. In line with our ethos of students being central to everything we do, our approach is to foster an inclusive environment for the benefit of the whole Marjon community.

For an initial discussion and for further information on how to apply, please email governance@marjon.ac.uk

We would be delighted to hear from you.

Diversity of the Board

The Board of Directors seeks to maintain a balance of skills, expertise and experience within its membership that enables it to provide appropriate governance to the University and exercise effective oversight of its affairs.

The Board seeks to remove any barriers that might deter people from expressing an interest in joining the Board and welcomes expressions of interest from people from all backgrounds for consideration for appointment to achieve a balance of membership that reflects the diversity of the University's activities and the region.

We particularly welcome applications which would enhance the ethnic diversity of the Board, and from LGBTQ+ and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented.

External Resources for Board Members

There are many helpful documents available online for those interested in governance arrangements in Higher Education Institutions. Key documents for the Board are as follows: