Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne to co-lead Office for Students

Two senior civil servants have been appointed joint chief executives of the Office for Students (OfS). 

Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne will replace Susan Lapworth as head of the English universities’ regulator, effective from June. 

With Lapworth set to depart at Easter, Josh Fleming, current director of strategy and delivery at the OfS, will serve as interim chief executive in the meantime. 

Hannant and Payne have been appointed to a single chief executive role as a job-share partnership, having shared roles within government for 16 years. 

They currently serve as directors general at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where they have been in post for five years.

They also both previously held the role of director of higher education at the Department for Education between 2014 and 2017, during which time plans were being drawn up to create the OfS. 

“This is a crucial moment for higher education, with universities facing real financial pressures and students needing confidence that their courses will have the quality to equip them for the future,” said education secretary Bridget Phillipson.

“Ruth and Polly bring the experience needed to lead a strong, effective regulator that holds the sector to high standards and delivers for students. 

“Their leadership will enable the Office for Students to continue its work to protect students’ interests and support a stable, world-leading sector.”

In a statement, Payne and Hannant said the appointment was a “great privilege”.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues across the higher education and skills system to deliver for students,” they said. 

Their appointment will mark a fresh slate for the OfS, which has often been criticised by the sector since its inception in 2018.

An independent review, published in 2024, highlighted concerns about the regulator’s perceived lack of independence and “adversarial” relationship with higher education providers. 

The same year, the regulator also paused several of its key functions, such as registering new providers, to focus on its resources on the financial sustainability of universities, amid fears of a possible market exit. 

Since being elected, the Labour government has moved to give the OfS more responsibilities, including greater oversight of the further education sector. 

“I am delighted that Polly and Ruth are bringing their extensive experience and expertise to the leadership of the OfS as we continue our journey towards becoming an exemplary regulator of higher education,” said OfS chair Edward Peck, a former vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University. 

“The OfS board and I look forward to working with them as we pursue our strategy focused on being ambitious for students, collaborative with education providers and sector agencies, vigilant about the use of public money and vocal about both the strengths and weaknesses of English higher education.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com