Sir Andrew Witty has been officially installed as the seventh Chancellor of The University of Nottingham.

Sir Andrew, Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline, graduated from the University in 1985 with a BA in Economics.

Sir Andrew said: “I never expected to become Chancellor of the University. I was shocked and honoured two years ago to be given an honorary degree, which was far in excess of anything that I thought would happen to me.

“To then get a phone call a couple of years later and be asked to undertake this role was breathtaking and I was super-honoured to be asked and regard it as a great privilege.

“Universities are truly remarkable institutions and I think in Britain we are very lucky to have a few of the world’s greatest universities and I always felt I was lucky to be a student at one of them. Now, to have the chance to hopefully give a little more back, and to help the Vice-Chancellor and the Council to think about things to help the University to continue to be so successful is a real honour and a great opportunity and I look forward to it enormously. I never thought it would happen and it didn’t take me long to say yes as I have such a strong affinity to the institution.”

Sir Andrew became Chief Executive Officer of GSK in 2008 and was knighted for services to the economy and to the UK pharmaceutical industry in the 2012 New Year Honours.

Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor, said: “All of the qualities Sir Andrew brings will help us as a University to address the challenges we face in a pretty rapidly changing education environment. He will bring new contacts, he will bring new qualities and he will bring a set of leadership skills that have been developed in a global environment, which will be a real asset to our University.

“He was a student of this University and he will now be the Chancellor and I am thrilled and excited at the prospect of working with him, to not only cherish the heritage we have, but most importantly to look to the future that beckons.”

Sir Andrew succeeds the previous Chancellor, distinguished Chinese physicist and Academician Professor Yang Fujia, who served from 2000 to 2012.

The Chancellor’s key roles including ceremonial duties and acting as an ambassador and advocate of the University. He also advises on matters of strategic importance to the University. It is an unrenumerated role.

Watch: http://tiny.cc/UofNSirAndrew
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