Professor Mark E. Smith is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton joining 1^st October from Lancaster University where he was Vice-Chancellor for eight years. He plays roles in various sector bodies including the current Chair of UCEA and the Financial Sustainability Strategy Group for Higher Education. Mark is also a member of the HESA and HEFCW Boards, chairing the latter’s Research Wales Committee. He is the senior independent member of the Council of the EPSRC, a Council member of the All-Party Parliamentary University Group and a Trustee and Board Member of Jisc. Mark chaired the national review of A-level content 2013-14. He is also a Professor of Magnetic Resonance, a Member of the Ampère Society’s Prize Committee and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.  Mark was awarded a CBE in 2019 for his services to Higher Education and Research.