Lisa Mann was elected as Co-Vice Chair of GuildHE in July 2026. She is the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).

Her appointment reflects a distinguished career in higher education, marked by innovative leadership and a commitment to advancing creative disciplines. Lisa Mann's tenure at AUB is characterised by her commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, industry collaboration, and the promotion of creative disciplines as vital components of the economy and society. Her leadership continues to shape AUB's role as a leading institution in creative arts education.

She has been an advocate for the value of creative graduates. As Chair of the Steering Group for the "Value of Creative Graduates" report, published by GuildHE and UKADIA, she addressed challenges in defining the value of creative education and proposed recommendations for higher education providers, businesses, and government to realign perceptions.

Lisa Mann's career includes HE consultancy and running her own businesses; her academic experience spans both public and private sectors within higher education. Before joining AUB, she served as Head of Higher Education at the Fashion Retail Academy, an industry-led institution founded by major retailers such as Next, M&S, F&F, and Experian. In this role, she was instrumental in aligning academic programs with industry needs.