New role for Helen

Helen Wildman took up the post in January this year and is looking forward to getting to grips with the new role.

Her main areas of responsibility are IT Services, Marketing and Communications, Personnel, Risk, Safety and Health, and the University Secretary’s Department but she also has oversight of the other departments across the University.

Helen said: “My priority is to get to know the different departments and schools and how they all fit together and complement one another.”

Before joining the higher education sector, Helen completed officer training at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and professional training with the Royal Army Educational Corps.

She spent 23 years in the Army and Ministry of Defence, in a variety of roles, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Among the many challenges she has faced are tackling assault courses and dealing with the world’s media after her barracks were shelled.

Her first posting was teaching soldiers in Germany toward their promotion exams and she later held posts as Commander Educational and Training Services, Head of PR for the British Forces in Germany and HR Manager at the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow.

Latterly, she spent five months in Afghanistan where she was Spokesperson for the International Security and Assistance Force, overseeing press officers from 19 different countries and co-ordinating the media strategy.

On leaving the Army, Helen became Director of Strategic Planning at De Montfort University. She then joined The Open University as Regional Director for the East of England, based in Cambridge. Her role was to raise the profile of the OU in the region and to look at ways to continue to support students effectively in the wake of major funding cuts.

Helen’s first degree was in Library and Information Studies from the former Liverpool Polytechnic. She also has a PGCE, an MBA from Cranfield, an MSc in Strategic Studies from Aberystwyth, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Further information

For more information please contact Emma Kilvert in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322003.