AI Preparedness: Strategy, Culture and Infrastructure for Universities

Katherine Allan

Transformation Leadership Consultant and Founder, Campus to Campus

Katherine Allan is a visionary leader and one of the UK’s most sought-after consultants, known for her transformative impact in business and EdTech. Rising rapidly in corporate leadership, she became the youngest and only female Board Director at a leading workplace supplies company, where she led the first Digital, AI and eCommerce transformation.  She has a commercial mindset and leads every engagement with the customer at the heart of the brief.

Sue Attewell

Head of AI, Jisc

Sue Attewell co-leads the Artificial Intelligence team at Jisc, where she is actively involved in advancing AI maturity within member institutions. She leads on community engagement and training. With a strong understanding of student and staff concerns related to generative AI, Sue is dedicated to ensuring that AI adoption in education is both ethical and inclusive.

Ashley Braganza

Professor of Organisational Transformation, Brunel University of London

Professor Braganza is Dean of Brunel Business School and holds the Chair in Business Transformation.  Prior to being appointed Dean, Professor Braganza was the Deputy Dean of the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences. 

He is the Founder and co-Director of Brunel’s interdisciplinary Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, launched in 2018, which incorporates a dedicated AI Lab. The Centre and Lab are part of the wider Brunel’s AI Ecosystem, led by Professor Braganza.  In the 22/23 academic year, the Centre won £3.5 million in grants.  Most recently, Professor Braganza is part of a consortium that has won a €5.8 million bid for the ELOQUENCE EU project (2024-2027). He devised and launched a Masters in AI Strategy, which is aim at training the next generation of AI leaders.  

Professor Braganza’s scholarly contribution is to the field of change implementation and, specifically, leadership of strategic organisational change.  His interest in the implementation of cross-functional change was sparked during his doctoral journey, and continues to inform his research projects, teaching, and consultancy assignments.  His research is practice-based, demonstrated by his leadership of over numerous consultancy projects with global, public and private sector organisations. His past collaborations with senior managers in organisations exemplified by BT, Microsoft, McDonald's, Astra Zeneca, Friends Provident, Volkswagen Financial Services and the various UN agencies have co-created knowledge and practical ways of implementing complex change programmes.

Kevin Braim

Chief Information Officer, St Mary’s University Twickenham, London

As the Chief Information Officer, Kevin is responsible for providing the leadership to the University’s Library and IT functions and ensures the usability and security of the Universities digital platforms meets the needs of the St Mary’s community.

Having spent over 20 years living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa, he returned to the UK in 1998. Having worked for various multi-national businesses, he completed and executive MBA from Aston University and moving into the higher education sector in 2019. He joined Saint Mary’s in July 2022.

Alexeis Garcia Perez

Professor of Digital Business & Society at Aston Business School, Aston University

Alexeis Garcia Perez is Professor of Digital Business and Society at Aston Business School, Aston University. He is also Visiting Professor at the Centre for Business in Society of Coventry University, and Visiting Research Scholar at the Department of Communication, Culture & Technology of Georgetown University.

His original background in Computer Science was complemented by a PhD in Information Systems from Cranfield University. This socio-technical understanding of information technologies and information systems has enabled a focus on the wider challenges of data, information and knowledge management in business and society, with particular emphasis on data-driven innovation and digital transformation strategies.  His research has been funded by national and international bodies including Horizon Europe, EPSRC, the Railway Safety and Standards Board, and Network Rail.

Alexeis has led teams delivering Information Systems programmes in both Computing and Business environments, including an MBA in Cyber Security.

He is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and member of the executive committee of the International Association for Knowledge Management. 

Professor Karen Heard-Lauréote

Director and Principal Consultant in Education Practice Enhancement, KHL Consulting

Professor Karen Heard-Lauréote is a higher education consultant, Visiting Professor at the University of Portsmouth, and Director of KHL Consulting Ltd. She specialises in higher education transformation, quality assurance, governance, and strategic change, working with universities, colleges, and sector bodies to build resilience and meet regulatory requirements. A Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA), National Teaching Fellow (NTF), and Senior Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SFSEDA), Karen has over 20 years of leadership experience in UK higher education, including senior executive roles with responsibility for learning and teaching, institutional quality, and the student experience. Her consultancy portfolio includes supporting providers through OfS registration and Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs) readiness, advising on transnational education partnerships, developing academic development programmes, and leading strategic reviews of governance and student voice. Alongside her consultancy, Karen mentors senior leaders across the sector, helping them navigate career transitions, professional recognition, and organisational change.