Senior professional service appointments announced

Stephen Conway, Deputy Registrar

Dr Stephen Conway has been appointed as Deputy Registrar. This is a new and important role which will lead and take responsibility for the cross-cutting development of professional services across Oxford. 

In addition to deputising for the Registrar and leading several areas within the Registrar’s portfolio, the role will focus particularly on implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Professional Services. This includes ensuring that professional services are resilient, responsive and delivered at the appropriate level of the organisation – with greater consistency across Oxford – in support of the University's long term needs.

Stephen is currently Executive Director of Research Services – a role which he has held since 2018. He was previously Director of Research and Academic Strategy at The Open University, and before that had held UAS, divisional and departmental roles at Oxford. He studied at the University at both undergraduate and graduate levels and is a fellow of Jesus College.  

Stephen started the role in a phased way alongside his existing position on 1 June, and will gradually build to be full time in the Deputy Registrar role from October 2025. 

I am really pleased and excited to have the opportunity to work with colleagues across professional services at Oxford, in departments, divisions and UAS, to develop our services in support of the academic mission of the University.

The Strategic Review highlighted the many strengths of our professional services, not least the outstanding skills and dedication of our people, as well as the growing challenges and constraints we face.

It has set out the framework and principles through which together we can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the professional services we deliver. 

Stephen Conway

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Peter Cochrane, Director of Capital Projects – Estates Services

Peter Cochrane has taken on the role of the University's Director of Capital Projects.

Peter arrives from the University of Birmingham, where he took on the temporary role of Interim Director of Estates after joining the University as the Deputy Director of Estates (Development) in 2017. He has worked in the HE Sector for over 30 years and has led on the delivery of over £1bn of large-scale capital projects, including the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, a university train station and a campus in Dubai.

A Chartered Building Surveyor by background, Peter combines a grounded knowledge of all construction and maintenance activities with a passion for large-scale project work, including working with heritage buildings. In particular, he has a strong background in developing framework partnerships and robust procurement strategies and has a very practical approach to project delivery. Peter has also led on a number of transformational digital processes, allowing technology to significantly enhance construction and operation of the built estate.

I am extremely honoured and proud to be joining the University of Oxford. I have already met some of the team and am extremely impressed with the significant scale, complexity and world-leading range of projects that are being delivered.

I am equally as impressed with the collaborative and professional approach that is taken with consultant and construction partners.

I am very much looking forward to helping with the delivery of the current and future capital plan, and engaging with University colleagues and stakeholders who are integral to the development of the University estate. 

Peter Cochrane

Tom Heel, Associate Director of Sustainability – Estates Services

Tom Heel will re-join the University as Associate Director of Sustainability on 1 July.

Tom was previously the University's Deputy Head of Sustainability before leaving in 2019 to become Business Development Director at the Low Carbon Hub, a social enterprise that works to make Oxfordshire’s energy system more sustainable. 

Since late 2022 he has been Sustainability Lead at Aviva. In his earlier role at the University, Tom led the evolution of the University’s sustainable building agenda including the adoption of Passivhaus principles, decarbonisation of the estate and improvements to building fabric. When Tom re-joins Estates Services, he will be responsible for driving progress towards the University’s targets of reaching net zero carbon emissions and a positive overall impact on biodiversity by 2035.

I’m delighted to be to re-joining the University at an incredibly exciting time, both within Estates Services and in the institution's sustainability journey. 

Trevor Payne, Director of Estates, has an exciting vision for the development of the University’s estate, and we now have ten years to deliver some really ambitious sustainability objectives in a fascinating national, global and sectorial context.

I’m looking forward to collaborating with some new and familiar faces and working together to deliver the University’s Environmental Sustainability strategy. 

Tom Heel