Chris Hunt

Responsibilities

As Chief Operating Officer, Chris leads the University of Nottingham's professional operational excellence and strategic performance. He oversees the Professional Services functions that provide the foundation for our teaching, student experience, and research priorities.  

Chris plays a key role in achieving the university's strategic plan as a member of the University Executive Board, and his responsibilities include our commercial enterprises, campus operations, capital projects, and digital infrastructure development. He leads our strategic planning processes, realising investment benefits while maintaining the university's long-term sustainability and ambition.  

A central part of Chris's role involves overseeing development of the university's strategy, reputation, and revenue streams – including student recruitment, alumni relations and transformation initiatives. He champions our civic, national, and global partnerships, building relationships that enhance our reputation and creates new opportunities for collaboration and growth.  

Driving high performance across technology, infrastructure, HR, and support services, Chris fosters collaboration and accountability while ensuring excellent service to our staff and students. He also oversees academic services, covering faculty operations, sport and careers provisions, and the academic registrar functions that are vital to our student and academic experience.  

Chris stays closely connected to national and international higher education developments, adapting our strategies accordingly. He is focused on creating an environment where colleagues can deliver outstanding performance in support of our strategic objectives, and he champions equality, diversity, and inclusion principles throughout the university.  

Profile

Chris brings almost 30 years of diverse leadership experience across commercial, charity, and higher education sectors to his role as Chief Operating Officer. As someone who's proud to call Nottingham his hometown, Chris is looking forward to working with colleagues across the institution to help shape the university’s next chapter.  

In his most recent role, Chris served as Commercial Director at the University of Warwick, where he was responsible for Campus and Commercial Services. In this role, he focused on creating outstanding experiences for both internal and external visitors, while generating surplus for the university.  

Prior to his work in higher education, Chris spent two decades in leadership roles with multinational corporation ExxonMobil, developing his strategic and operational expertise on a global scale. He also served as Commercial Director at the National Trust, where he developed skills in managing heritage assets and visitor experiences.  

Chris holds an MBA from London Business School and a BA in History from the University of Warwick. His educational journey began at Nottingham High School, making his return to the city particularly meaningful.