Jane Harrington
Vice-Chancellor and CEO
University of Greenwich
How does it feel to be a woman in leadership here in Greenwich?
The University of Greenwich is a wonderful place to be a woman in a leadership role. The staff and student body is very diverse and the Board of Governors is chaired by a woman. This means that the difficulties that can sometimes occur in needing to prove yourself in a leadership role as a woman are not felt as acutely here. I have been welcomed since the day I arrived. My 100th day involved moving the campus online which was really challenging but also enabled me to get to know a large number of staff more quickly than may have been possible otherwise. It meant taking some quick decisions and needing to spend a lot of time communicating and listening to both student and staff concerns. I think as we have come out of the pandemic this has served us well and has also helped me to establish myself as a senior female leader. I am delighted to see so many women starting to come through into senior roles.
Tell us about your career journey, and how you ended up at Greenwich.
I spent the vast majority of my career in Higher Education, starting as a researcher at UWE ,Bristol. I was fortunate to hold many roles in the institution, taking up my first senior leadership role in 2005. I held a wide range of roles and was never afraid to move sideways as well as upwards as I was keen to gain a wide range of experience. I have also only ever taken on roles where I felt I had something significant to contribute to them and I could make a difference. This has meant at times not applying for roles or deciding that an opportunity was not right for me or the organisation. By the time I became a Deputy Vice Chancellor in 2014 I had line managed academics at all levels, and most professional services areas.
I have always enjoyed working internationally and have held a number of advisory positions with international universities which has without a question helped me to understand education in different contexts. I also chaired a large multinational academy trust (of over 20 schools). This enabled me to understand education at all levels which has been important.
Throughout my career my core focus has always been on providing students with an excellent high quality experience and ensuring that they can achieve the future that is right for them. As such, I have worked hard to understand pedagogical developments, to ensure that provision is fit for purpose and looking to the future. I have also ensured that partners are core to this as I believe that working in partnership with employers, community groups and organisations brings a wealth to provision that is difficult to get without
What tips would you give to the women at Greenwich today? Any top tips to empower women in the University of Greenwich community?
I would say focus on what you have achieved and keep a note for yourself when you are starting to doubt your abilities. Where possible get a coach or a mentor. At times this is most useful if they work for the institution, at other times it is better if they are outside of the sector. Do not be afraid to take on interesting roles or projects, even if they do not immediately enable you to progress as they will enable you to develop more broadly.
Everybody at times has set backs to their plans. The key is to learn from them and then act upon any changes that you need to make.
Finally, use every experience as a learning event. My best learning came from the worst line manager I ever had as it taught me very clearly how I wanted to behave and also how to manage someone who was regarded as unmanageable.
Finally, finally – we spend a huge amount of time at work. It is really important to get some fun and enjoyment from it.