University home > About the University > Governance and senior staff > University constitution > Executive Group > Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Hugh Brady
The Vice-Chancellor and President is the academic and administrative head of the University, formally head of all staff, and is the principal officer designated as publicly accountable for the University’s finances. The Vice-Chancellor and President is responsible to the governing body for the organisation and supervision of all the activities of the University.
Professor Hugh Brady became Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol in September 2015.
A graduate of University College Dublin (UCD), Professor Brady trained in general medicine and nephrology, and was awarded PhD and MD degrees for research in renal physiology and molecular medicine, respectively. His academic career as a physician-scientist included positions at Harvard Medical School, the University of Toronto and UCD. He is an international authority on the pathogenesis of renal inflammation and diabetic kidney disease.
Since coming to Bristol, Professor Brady has led an institution-wide strategic planning process which yielded a new Vision and Strategy for the University. A central theme of the plan is the re-imagining of the civic university for the 21st century. Highlights of the new strategic plan include:
Professor Brady served as President of UCD from 2004-13. He has held a number of other leadership roles, including membership of Ireland’s Higher Education Authority, Chairman of the Irish Universities Association and Chairman of the Universitas 21 Network of global research universities. He is a non-executive director of Kerry Group plc and ICON plc and serves on the Board of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the Queen’s University Belfast, an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in Ireland and the Robert Menzies Medal from the University of Melbourne.
The University of Bristol is a leading research intensive UK university, ranked within the top 50 universities in the world. The University is a major driver of prosperity in the region and, in accordance with its charitable mission, delivers a public benefit to its students and to British society. In a very competitive market for the best talent, it is essential that the University of Bristol offers a competitive remuneration package that allows it to attract an outstanding Vice-Chancellor to lead this diverse and complex organisation of 22,000 students, over 6000 staff and an income of over £500 million.
The current Vice-Chancellor is Professor Hugh Brady, whose salary is set and reviewed annually by the Remuneration Committee of the Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Board. The Remuneration Committee is comprised primarily of independent lay members of the Board. For further information, please see the terms of reference of the Remuneration Committee. The Vice-Chancellor is not a member of the Remuneration Committee and is not present when his remuneration, including salary and other benefits, is being considered or decided upon.
In reviewing the Vice-Chancellor’s salary the Remuneration Committee considers a number of factors taking account of performance, general pay movement for all University staff, retention, and any relevant market considerations. The latter is informed by salary survey information provided by the Committee of University Chairs.
With effect from 1 August 2019 the Remuneration Committee awarded Professor Brady a pay increase and he currently receives an annual salary of £300,000. There are no additional bonus arrangements. The Vice-Chancellor is entitled to membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) but has elected to receive payment in lieu of pension contributions, currently £39,000 per annum; a sum derived from the employer’s contribution rate in USS and which is provided on a basis that is cost neutral to the University.
Professor Brady is required to live in the Vice-Chancellor’s official residence which is extensively used for hosting a varied annual programme of formal and informal University engagement and fundraising events with our alumni, supporters, partners and philanthropic benefactors. He is also required to travel extensively in the UK and internationally to raise the University's profile in a competitive Higher Education market place, broker partnerships with leading institutions, contribute to the international student recruitment activities, and to maintain and extend the University’s worldwide network of alumni and major donors.
Updated November 2020
The Vice-Chancellor holds a number of external non-executive advisory roles, compliant with the University’s policies on external work.
The Vice-Chancellor is a Member of the Chancellor’s Giving Circle at the University of Bristol
You may contact the Vice-Chancellor through Jami West, Executive Personal Assistant
You can view Professor Hugh Brady's expenses for the period 1 August 2019 to 31 January 2020 in the Senior Management expenses summary (PDF, 488kB).
No expenses were incurred for the period 1 February 2020 to 31 July 2020.
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