Vice Chancellor, University of Humberside (UK) 1989-1996, then Founding Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln (1996-2001), and founding Chair of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (now part of HE Academy), 1998-2001. Visiting Professor, Open University (UK) 2009-14. Currently Visiting Professor at the University of Bath (since 2009), and Research Associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science (Centre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulation) since 2004. Member of the independent, cross-political party Higher Education Commission (parliamentary based), including co-author of its Report Regulating Higher Education (2013). Chairman of the Board of Governors of the UK College of Business and Computing (UKCBC), London and Dubai.
Author of various books and articles on higher education policy, governance and regulation, and globalization and higher education (most recent, Research Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education, with Hamish Coates (Tsinghua University, Beijing) and Brendan Cantwell (Michigan State University, USA), Edward Elgar, July 2018.
Recent Research Projects for Quality Assurance Agency (UK) on Data and Risk-based Regulation; and on Social Media and the Wisdom of Students (both published 2018).
Convenor of Higher Education Governance and Regulation Network, London School of Economics and Political Science.
In 2018 undertaken higher education consultancies in Latvia, Canada, and China.
Distinguished Visitor, Tsinghua University, Beijing, July 2018. Visiting Professor at Queensland Universities (variously 2002-2017): University of Queensland, QUT, Griffith and University of the Sunshine Coast.
Board member of the British Council’s Committee on Higher Education, Association of Commonwealth Universities, and Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals (now Universities UK) when Vice Chancellor.

Director and Chair, Wells Advisory UK

Roger holds the following qualifications: D.Univ (Lincoln), M.Soc Sc (Birmingham), B.Sc Hons Economics (London)

Mr Michael Wells, Founding Director, is one of the leading advisors on higher education in Australia and internationally. He advises universities, independent higher education providers (iHEPs) and investors on market entry and development, partnership strategies, regulation and quality. Over 20 years, Michael has been a management consultant to a significant number of education institutions, has held senior executive positions in planning/quality/finance/risk for Australia’s leading university, and has been a founding Commissioner of Australia’s higher education regulator TEQSA.

Michael has consulted to organisations in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Chile, and Hong Kong. He has founded and built one of the leading firms of higher education advisors (www.wellsadvisory.co ). Michael specialises in aligning commercial / market considerations with the academic mission and culture of higher education institutions. Michael has deep understanding of structures, culture, and organisational frameworks that operate in higher education. He brings insights for his clients in terms of governance, strategy, regulation and operational excellence, built from practical experience and a keen interest in performance measures, markets, and quality.

Prior to establishing Wells Advisory in 2016, Michael was a full-time Commissioner at the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) from 2011-2015, where he designed and led the establishment of a world-leading risk framework, national data collection and streamlined approach to regulating standards. He was Executive Director of Finance and Planning at Australia’s top ranked university, The University of Melbourne from 2005-2011 where he was a member of the Senior Executive Committee and Academic Board, and led university-wide planning and the annual US$1.1b university operating budget process, capital stage gating, strategic risk program and quality audits. Prior to the University of Melbourne, Michael’s career focussed on legal practice, strategy consulting and brand valuation. Michael is admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in Australia and is a member of the Market Research Society of Australia.

Michael holds the following degrees: MMktg (Melbourne Business School), Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (Unimelb)