Professor Helen O’Sullivan is Chief Academic Officer at QA Higher Education, bringing extensive senior leadership experience across the UK higher education sector, including roles within Russell Group, pre-1992, and post-1992 universities.
Prior to joining QA Higher Education, Helen served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Chester. In this role, she led a significant programme of educational and digital transformation and was the executive lead for the successful establishment of Chester Medical School.
Helen has held a wide range of senior academic leadership positions, including Dean, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost. Across these roles, her work has been underpinned by a sustained commitment to widening participation, curriculum innovation, excellence in learning and teaching, and the strategic development of digital education.
She currently serves as a Trustee of Jisc and has previously been a Board member of Advance HE and Chair of the Association for Learning Technology, reflecting her national profile and influence in higher education policy and practice.
Professor O’Sullivan’s academic background is in biomedical sciences and medical education. She was appointed Professor of Medical Education at the University of Liverpool and holds a visiting professorship at Liverpool Hope University.