Michael Barber

Michael Barber is the current Chancellor at University of Exeter. Prior to this, they were the Chair of the Office for Students from March 2017 to March 2021. Michael was appointed as the first Chair of the Office for Students in the UK in 2017. The independent body was set up to regulate the higher education sector in England and promote competition and choice for students.

Barber has also worked as the Chairman of Pearson Affordable Learning Fund from September 2011 to March 2017. The Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (PALF) is a $65M venture fund that invests in private schools, education technology and scalable services to meet the demand for affordable education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Some notable achievements in their career include being globally respected figure both in the sector and in government with an impressive record in leading and supporting public sector delivery" as described by the Education Secretary at the time, Justine Greening. Under their chairmanship, the PALF has made 10 investments in 7 countries including high-quality STEM solutions and English language learning solutions.

Michael Barber attended the University of Oxford.