Nigel Paul

Nigel brings a wide variety of experience from the private, public and education sectors. Having graduated from Bristol University in Chemistry, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant then joined ICI PLC. He worked with them for over 20 years primarily in the heavy chemicals businesses ultimately becoming Finance, IT and Planning Director for its International Halochemicals business.

On the divestment of those businesses, Nigel moved to the Higher Education sector taking up the role of Director of Corporate Services at the University of Edinburgh and subsequently becoming a Vice Principal of the University. He was responsible for the University’s professional services and commercial activities; chaired a number of subsidiary company boards including Edinburgh University Press and Edinburgh Research and Innovation; and was a member of the Investment Committee of Old College Capital LLP. He was also involved with the governance of the University, including chairing its Risk Management Committee and led the operational integration of the mergers of the Edinburgh College of Art, the Roslin Institute and the Human Genetics Unit into the University.

He was also appointed to a range of non executive and advisory roles. He was chairman of APUC Ltd, the company that provides procurement services to all Universities and Colleges in Scotland; was a member of the Scottish Government Public Procurement Reform Board, the Public Services Reform Board, and the Digital Public Services National Board, as well a number of sector groups; and was a director of TMRI Ltd (a partnership of Universities and Health Boards researching into translational medicine) and HPCx Ltd, the company that runs the UK’s Research High Performance Computing facility. He had previously been a non-executive member of the Companies House Steering Board.

Currently he is chairman of Flowave TT Ltd, an ocean energy research facility, and works with the Leadership Trust as a facilitator on their leadership development programmes.​