Registrar and Secretary's Office

The Registrar and Secretary, Nicola Owen, is the University’s Chief Operating Officer, responsible for Professional Services.

Nicola Owen

Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer

“We strive for sector-leading Professional Services. By working in partnership with academic colleagues and recruiting, developing and modelling quality, we contribute to enhancing the University's performance.”

Nicola is a member of the University Executive Board and is involved in University strategy and policy, providing advice to the Vice-Chancellor and other senior colleagues. As Secretary to The Senate and Council, she is responsible for University governance.

Nicola is involved in national and international work in Higher Education. She is currently Chair of the UK Association of Heads of University Administration since 2020 and represents the association on a number of national sector bodies and initiatives. She coordinates the UK-Sweden Registrars’ Group and was a member of the Heads of University Management Network Europe (HUMANE) steering committee from 2020-2025.

Nicola is supported by the Executive Support Division, led by the Chief of Staff. The Division includes the Executive Office, the Governance team, Strategic Planning, Strategic Change, and Legal Services.

If you are seeking to verify the qualification of a current or former student of the University of Birmingham, please visit our Academic references for employers page. If you are a current or former student and wish to obtain a copy of your transcript, please visit our Academic transcripts Intranet page.

Key people

Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer
Nicola Owen

Senior Executive Assistant to the Registrar and Secretary
Clare Hope
Email - c.hope@bham.ac.uk

Chief of Staff
Mark Senior
Email - m.r.senior@bham.ac.uk
Telephone - +44 (0)121 414 8231 

Head of Governance
Colette McDonough
Email - c.mcdonough@bham.ac.uk

Governance & Risk Officer
Paul Bowman
Email - p.j.Bowman@bham.ac.uk 

Governance Officer
Chris Ellison
Email - c.ellison@bham.ac.uk

Governance Support Administrator
Niamh Ward
E-mail - n.ward@bham.ac.uk