New Campus Services Director
4 August 2008
Exeter appointment to manage growing campus
 The University of Exeter has appointed Geoff Pringle as its Director of Campus Services. This new role will help the University achieve its ambition of becoming one of the top 10 universities in the country, with a vibrant campus that is the destination of choice for the best students and staff.
Geoff Pringle joins from the University of Birmingham, where he has been Director of Hospitality and Accommodation Services for 10 years. At Exeter he will also be responsible for managing the strategic direction of Hospitality Services and the overall look and feel of the University’s Streatham and St Lukes campuses. This new Campus Services area includes residences, catering and retail outlets, as well as maintenance, security, cleaning and portering, and grounds management. Geoff will start in his new role on 1 February 2009.
Geoff Pringle said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to the newly created position of Director of Campus Services at the University of Exeter. Exeter has an impressive reputation for its hospitality services and facilities management. I hope that my 10 years experience at the University of Birmingham coupled with a career that spans some 30 years in hospitality and facilities management will match the requirements and demands of this new and exciting role. I hope that I can assist Exeter in delivering its ambitious vision for improvements in the delivery of services to students, staff and visitors.”
Geoff will lead a team of 750 people to manage and deliver the University’s facilities and services. He will also oversee several new developments, including the introduction of new student residencies on the Streatham Campus, and will work closely with the Director of Buildings and Estates to deliver a £450 million investment programme to provide world-class facilities on the University’s Streatham Campus.
At the University of Birmingham, where he has worked for more than 10 years, Geoff has led a £100m project to redevelop student residences and catering services. Prior to that, Geoff spent 15 years with BT and was responsible for property and facilities management for the Human Resources Directorate that included the management of its residential training and conference centres. He project managed BT’s award winning conference and management training centre Kents Hill Park at Milton Keynes. Geoff graduated in Hotel and Catering Management from Hendon College of Technology, now part of Middlesex University, and he started his career in the hotel industry in London’s West End.
Jeremy Lindley, Director of Finance and Corporate Services, said: “The fact that we can attract someone of Geoff’s calibre shows Exeter’s growing reputation as a leading University. Appointing people with this level of experience gives us a huge vote of confidence in the reputation we have, through achieving accolades such as the Times Higher University of the Year award. We very much look forward to working with Geoff as we strive to make Exeter one of the UK’s top 10 universities.”
As Geoff Pringle plans his move to Exeter, Simon Malloy, Director of Hospitality Services and Deputy Director of Corporate Services, will be taking planned early retirement in April 2009. Simon Malloy said: “I have had four very good years at Exeter developing Hospitality Services into a customer focused business and delivering quality services in line with customer needs and expectations. I am delighted to know that Geoff Pringle will be joining the University to head up the new Campus Services area. I know that Geoff will successfully build on the success that Hospitality Services has achieved over recent years.”
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