Ashley joined University College of Estate Management as Principal in 2013 and has led the institution through some significant milestones over more than ten years, including securing full independence and indefinite taught degree awarding powers. He became the institution’s first Vice Chancellor in December 2023. He is passionate about the transformative power of education and is proud to lead the University College of Estate Management – a specialist university for the built environment – as it strives to become the centre of excellence for built environment education and the world’s most sustainable university. 

UCEM is the leading provider of supported, flexible and accessible online education and is the largest provider of built environment apprenticeships in the country, with some 2,000 apprentices currently studying with us. Ashley is particularly passionate about sustainability and has put this at the heart of UCEM’s core purpose and aims, setting out ambitious aspirations to embed its principles across the whole institution.

Ashley spent six years as a Non-Executive Director of BRE Group, and four years as a Trustee at Jisc, where he was also Deputy Chair. He is currently a Member of the GuildHE Executive, was appointed Chair of Young Citizens in 2023 and Chair of Chance UK in summer 2024. He is also a member of the CMI’s Regulation and Compliance Committee. He was awarded Honorary RICS membership in 2023.

Ashley holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of London and previously held senior roles as Director of Global Learning Services for Microsoft, and Chief Executive Officer of InfoBasis Ltd, a global Talent Management software company.