Professor Paul Layzell is the Principal and Chief Executive of Royal Holloway, University of London, a Professor of Software Engineering and a keen gardener.

He took up his current post in 2010, having held senior university posts in Manchester and Sussex, including programme management of the Manchester-UMIST merger in 2004. Today he is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of Royal Holloway.
Paul has held senior governance roles at AQA, where he was chair of the UK’s largest examination board, Eduserv, Jisc, HESA and London Higher. He is Treasurer of Universities UK and chairs the Resources Committee and Remuneration Committee. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey in 2017.
I enjoy the diversity of research excellence found across UK universities, as well as the transformational impact that higher education has on the lives of students.