Confirmed Speakers

Colin McCallum
Executive Director, University Advancement
University of Salford

Colin McCallum is Executive Director, University Advancement at the University of Salford. He has over twenty five years' experience in leading higher education and cultural development and marketing. Recent roles include President of Glasgow Caledonian University Foundation and Chief Executive of leading international philanthropic consulting firm Grenzebach Glier + Associates in Europe - and he remains a Vice-President of the firm. Previously McCallum served as: Director, Marketing and Development, at the National Museums of Scotland; Director, External Affairs and Development at the University of Strathclyde (running a programme which won Gold in the UK Professional Fundraising Awards for the best educational campaign); Development Officer St Hilda's College, Oxford and Alumni Relations Officer at the University of Edinburgh. His career began in The Netherlands where he was Promotions Manager with Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

McCallum graduated in English and Business Studies with a BA and an MSc in Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh. He is a member of the Board of Scottish Opera and he is a regular speaker at CASE events and conferences across Europe. He is a trustee of CASE Europe.

Elder, Liesl
Director of Development
The University of Oxford

Liesl Elder has been working in educational fundraising since 1993 and has held roles in both the United States and the UK. She has expertise in annual funds, major gifts, campaign management, alumni relations, marketing, public relations and corporate events.

Liesl has recently joined the team at the University of Oxford to lead the Oxford Thinking Campaign into the future. The Campaign has achieved over £1bn to date and is the largest educational campaign in Europe.

Shaun Horan
Director of Campaigns
University of Reading

Shaun Horan took up the newly created role of Director of Campaigns for the University of Reading this year, and is leading the University's first ever institution-wide fundraising appeal, with one of the most ambitious goals for a 1994 Group University. He has responsibility for all fundraising and supporter related activity. He also has experience of leading and growing PR, Marketing, Events and Student Recruitment teams as well as fundraising. He is a member of the Senior Management Team of the University.

Horan has a wealth of experience across several sectors, beginning his career as a Barrister, before leaving law for the voluntary sector, and spending a decade concentrating on the developing world. He switched to higher education in 2004 accepting the post to establish fundraising at Reading. Over the past eight years, the University has raised around £50 million from a standing start.

Tania Jane Rawlinson
Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations
University of Bristol

Tania Jane Rawlinson has been director of campaigns and alumni relations at the University of Bristol since 2003. In 2009 Bristol launched a £100m Centenary Campaign, of which £68m is now pledged or committed. American by birth, Rawlinson's fundraising career began in 1991 with a part-time role in Lincoln College Oxford's development office. She then worked as a fundraiser for the University at Albany, SUNY, USA and then the English National Opera. In 1998 she became development director at University College Oxford, and ran a successful £15m campaign over five years. She has acted as a development consultant for several Oxford colleges and private schools. Rawlinson is a member of the Ross Group and leads the RossCASE Survey Working Party.

Nicole Gillham
Director of Alumni Relations and Development
Henley Business School, University of Reading

Nicole Gillham takes up the new post of Director of Alumni Relations and Development at Henley Business School as of 1 December 2012, having been interim Director for the past year. She is tasked with developing and implementing the first joint office function dedicated to the Business School, working closely with the University Campaigns Office. She has responsibility for the alumni relations, fundraising and events strategies, including overseeing the Reading Real Estate Foundation. Gillham is a member of the Senior Management Team of Henley Business School.

Gillham has extensive experience in the business, charity and Higher Education sectors, and has been at the University of Reading for five years as Executive Director of the Reading Real Estate Foundation within the Business School. During that time, Gillham has built strong and effective relationships with the majority of leading real estate firms and their senior management, developing pioneering projects and achieving significant gifts from industry and alumni to support them.

Major General Xavier Michel
Former President
École Polytechnique

Major General Xavier Michel is the former President of École Polytechnique. He is an alumn of École Polytechnique and of École Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées. He holds a master's degree in computer science and electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also graduated from the Command and General Staff College of the United States Army.

He is a cavalry officer and served both in units and staff. He commanded the 2nd Hussar Regiment in Provins from 1995 to 1997 and the 3rd Mechanized Brigade in Limoges from 2003 to 2005. From January to June 2004, he commanded the Multinational Brigade North-East in Kosovo. He also held very important positions within the army staff, dealing with prospective studies on the army organization and army human resources strategy .

Major General Michel was awarded the "Légion d'Honneur" and the National Order of Merit, with the rank of officer.

Eric Thomas
Vice-Chancellor
University of Bristol

Professor Eric Thomas has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol since September 2001. He graduated in Medicine from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1976 and proceeded to obtain his MD by thesis in research into endometriosis in 1987. He trained as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and worked at both the universities of Sheffield and Newcastle. In 1991 he was appointed Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Southampton and then became Head of the School of Medicine there in 1995 and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Biological Sciences in 1998. He was a Consultant Gynaecologist from 1987 to 2001.

Since August 2011, he has been the President of Universities UK, the representative organisation for the UK's universities. Professor Thomas is Chair of the Board of CASE Europe and a Member of the Board of CASE and has recently been appointed to serve as a Commissioner of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. He chaired the government Taskforce into Increasing Voluntary Giving in Higher Education which reported in 2004. He was Chair of the Worldwide Universities Network from 2003 - 2007. He was a member of the Board of the South-West Regional Development Agency from 2002-8. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol.