Steve West (university administrator)

West trained as a podiatrist before becoming a lecturer and senior lecturer at The Chelsea School of Podiatric Medicine, London Foot Hospital and the University of Westminster in 1984. In 1990 he became head of Podiatry at Huddersfield University and became dean of the School of Health & Behavioural Sciences in 1992. In 1995 he moved to the University of the West of England in Bristol and held posts as dean of the faculty of Health & Social Care and pro vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor before being appointed as vice-chancellor in 2008.[2]

He is a fellow of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, a fellow of the College of Podiatric Medicine Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He maintains research interests in dynamic and static foot pressure.[3]

He serves on a number of national education and research committees advising on the future funding and contracting for health-related programmes and research in England, and was a non-executive director of the South Strategic Health Authority (abolished in 2013). He served as chair of the South West CBI, Universities South West, was chair (2012–2016) of the University Alliance,[4] and is a board member of Universities UK and chair of the Health and Research Policy Group. He was a board member of the Leadership Foundation, President of Business West and the Bristol chamber of commerce, a regional board member of The Prince's Trust,[2] and chair of the West of England Academic Health Science Network.[5]

West is a non-executive director of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust[6] and chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.[7]

In early 2018, West was featured in a Channel 4 documentary, Dispatches, which claimed he had spent more than £40,000 of public money in the previous 18 months, including £10,000 on "exclusive chauffeur-driven car rides to London" and a £7,046 round trip to Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Melbourne, including flights, transfers and meals. UWE refuted the claims, describing them as "unfair" and "inaccurate".[8]

West's leisure-time interests include scuba diving.[9] He lives in Wick, Gloucestershire and is married with five children.

Since 20014, West has been a member of The Society of Merchant Venturers, a private club whose membership is invited "from individuals who have been successful in their chosen area of business".[10][11] The Society has been involved in attempts to sanitise the memory of merchant and slave trader Edward Colston, and have been accused of attempting to create a "cult of Colston".[12][13]

West was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to higher education.[14] He is a member of the Education Honours Committee and was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2012.[2]

• Steve West CBE, DL on Twitter