Olivia Grant OBE, Committee of University Chairmen
Olivia Grant is Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council at Newcastle University, and Deputy Chair for SUSTAINE, the Regional Council for Sustainability in the North East. A key figure in the North East of England for more than 25 years, Mrs Grant has been influential in the regeneration of the North East through her involvement in the strategic development of education, training and skills provision for the region.
Mrs Grant has held a number of posts in the region since her return to Newcastle in 1979. Having worked in local government in the city of Newcastle until 1986 she then set up and ran a company which was charged by Government with responsibility for the provision of support to businesses in the Tyneside area, and for the funding of all post-16 training and employment support. After leaving this work in 2001 she held various government and public appointments: Chair of the Learning and Skills Council, County Durham; until December 2003, a Board member of the Port of Tyne Authority, and the Regional Chair of Culture North East.
In addition to these public appointments Mrs Grant is Managing Director of a small bio science company, and a director of Aroline Limited.
Her voluntary work includes serving as an Honorary Vice-President of Newcastle Council for Voluntary Services and a member of the governing body of Dame Allan’s Schools. She was appointed OBE for services to training in 1994 and is a deputy lieutenant of Tyne and Wear. She has been appointed as an independent assessor for the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments and has been an accredited mediator for the Centre for Dispute Resolution.
