Professor Elaine Thomas has been Vice Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts since August 2008. She was previously Rector of the University College for the Creative Arts and Director of the Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College and held senior management positions at the University of Ulster and Sheffield Hallam University. Elaine is currently a Board member of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Higher Education South East (HESE) and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. As well as being a member of GuildHE, she is a member of the United Kingdom Arts and Design Institutions Association (ukadia), the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) and Higher Education Kent and Medway (HEKAM). A practising Fine Artist, Elaine also has experience in arts and museum policy, having been Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ulster Museum and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast.