Pro-Chancellors

Professor Patrick Vernon OBE, national campaigner and first-generation descendant of the Windrush Generation, was appointed Pro-Chancellor for Health at the University of Wolverhampton in April 2024.

Patrick is a distinguished leader with over 30 years of experience in the voluntary and public sectors, who continues to make significant contributions to healthcare, equality, and cultural heritage. Patrick brings a wealth of expertise and a deep connection to the Wolverhampton community to this important role. 

Born in Wolverhampton, Patrick's commitment to social justice has been recognised with an OBE in 2012 for his work tackling health inequalities and ethnic minority communities. In 2018, he received an honorary PhD from the University of Wolverhampton and in 2019, he received a lifetime achievement award for his campaigning and advocacy work from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK). 

The Wolverhampton region is close to Patrick's heart, and he is committed to leveraging his experience to support the University's mission in advancing health and community well-being. 

Dr Anthony Marsh is Chief Executive Officer of the Regional West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust and East England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Anthony began his ambulance service career in Essex in 1987 and qualified as an ambulance paramedic in 1990. He took up his current role in 2006. In 2011, Anthony was decorated with the Order of St John. He was elected Chair of the Association of Air Ambulances and is lead for the National Ambulance Resilience Board. In January 2014, Anthony was announced as a recipient of the Queen's Ambulance Service Medal (QAM) within Her Majesty's New Year's Honours List.

On behalf of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Anthony holds the National Portfolio for Emergency Planning, Response and Resilience. He is also the lead for Ambulance Service Olympic Planning and a Regional and National Cadre Gold Commander.

Anthony was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University in 2012. He was inaugurated as a pro-chancellor in September 2015.

Jacqueline Anne Oatley MBE is a British sports presenter, hosting mostly football for ITV Sport and BBC Sport.

Jacqui is best known for being the first female commentator on BBC One's Match of the Day, which she went on to present in March 2015. She is an FA qualified football coach, a director of Women in Football and a married mother of two children. She is also the UK's first female darts presenter, covering Professional Darts Corporation tournaments on ITV4 and the first female presenter of the BBC's flagship sports news radio show, Sports week, on BBC 5 Live. In August 2015, Oatley was named eighth most influential woman in sport by The Independent newspaper.

As well as Match of the Day, she has also fronted Final Score for the BBC and The Football League Show, completing the set of five broadcast roles on the show, and World Football Focus. She is football and darts anchor for ITV Sport, hosting their live international events. She was a presenter of ITV's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations coverage and in 2014 anchored their FA Cup highlights programmes. Jacqui fronts the BBC's live women's football coverage; she has anchored the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2013 UEFA Women's Championship and the BBC Women's Football Show. She is a studio guest pundit on TV2 in Norway.

Jacqui was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and diversity in sport. The award was recognition of her work behind the scenes championing the role of women working in football as well as women's football. Her depth of knowledge, sense of fun and relaxed style has consistently placed her at the vanguard of sports broadcasting since becoming the first female commentator on British network radio in 2005. Jacqui is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, ESPN and IMG (the Premier League’s worldwide television channel), specialising in football. She also reports or commentates on live football matches on a weekly basis for the BBC – alternating between Radio 5 Live and BBC1’s Final Score.

Ever at the cutting edge of sports broadcasting, Jacqui commentated for BBC 5 Live on several matches at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, in doing so completing a ‘full set’ of commentary medals, alongside television stints at Euro 2008, the Beijing Olympics and the London Olympics. She regularly presents sports news on the BBC News Channel, BBC World and has recently fronted live England women’s football matches on BBC2. She is ESPN’s host of their FA Women’s Super League (FAWSL) Show and a guest pundit on the English Premier League for TV2 in Norway.

A keen sportswoman herself, it took a serious knee injury in 2000 to see Jacqui make the switch from a career in intellectual property rights management to sports broadcasting; culminating in the securing of a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, to add to her BA Hons degree in German. Aside from covering sports as varied as tennis, rugby league and MotoGP, she has also reported from the World Snooker Championship, the Open Golf Championship and Royal Ascot – not to mention a stint as the voice of TV classic, It’s A Knockout for BBC’s Sport Relief.

Jacqui was born in Wolverhampton and brought up in Codsall, South Staffordshire. She is a fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers. She attended the all-girls junior school, St Dominic's in the nearby village of Brewood. Jacqui passed her A-Levels at Wolverhampton Grammar School then studied at University of Leeds, graduating with a degree in German in 1996. Jacqui spent a year travelling the world, and then moved to London to work in intellectual property as a Sales and Marketing Manager, then Key Account Manager.

While playing amateur football for Chiswick Ladies Football Club, Jacqui sustained a dislocated knee cap and ruptured ligaments, which resulted in a reconstruction operation and ten months recovering on crutches. With further operations to follow, she was told she would no longer be able to play sport. That news prompted her decision to change career and train to become a journalist, with the aim of working in sport - particularly her beloved football.

Jacqui is a strong supporter of Wolverhampton and the Black Country, recently anchoring the Wolverhampton City Council regeneration video for MIPM. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University in 2016 and has undertaken activities to support the University as an honorary graduate.

Sandra graduated from the University with her LLB in 1994. She is currently the joint managing director for UK and Europe of the international law firm DLA Piper, specialising in employment law. She offers strategic and commercial advice on business reorganisations, executive disputes, and employee relations, particularly relating to complex disciplinary and grievance matters. She has built up a reputation acting on high-level discrimination, and equality and diversity matters, and she is able to support clients on their complete employment law requirements.

She is passionate about social mobility and as such is Co-Chair of the Government's Social Mobility Commission, promoting social mobility in England, advising a Minister of the Crown on how to improve social mobility in England, with a view to progressing social mobility in the United Kingdom.

Sandra is a distinguished alum, whose aims and values align very well to our values and aspirations as a University, to provide opportunity for all, encouraging social mobility and enabling all students to have the help and support their need to complete their studies with us and excel into the word of work.

Jeetej (Jeet) Jandu was inaugurated as a pro-chancellor in February 2023. Jeet’s area of expertise is International Business and Government Relations, particularly in South Asia and Commonwealth markets.

Jeet is a recognised business leader and trade professional with a demonstrated background in driving strategic initiatives across investment promotion, economic development, lean energy solutions and educational leadership.