New BAC Chief Executive announced

Following the departure of Dr Stephen Vickers, the British Accreditation Council (BAC)
has appointed Dr Gina Hobson as its new Chief Executive. Dr Hobson has been with
BAC since September 2005 and in her role as Accreditation Manager has been
responsible for managing the entire inspection and accreditation process from initial
application through to the award of accreditation. An extensive recruitment campaign
attracted a strong field of candidates from the education sector and beyond, but
ultimately the trustees of the Council decided that Dr Hobson alone possessed the
perfect blend of personal qualities, professional experience and educational nous to
lead BAC into the next phase of its development at this challenging time.

Gina has a PhD in Sport Psychology from University College Chichester (now the
University of Chichester), specifically studying one of the causes of anxiety in
competitive athletes, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education which she completed whilst studying for her doctorate. She has also lectured PE and Sport Science students on both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

As a member of the Otter Swimming Club, Gina attended and medalled at the World
Masters Championships in April 2008 held in Perth, Western Australia. She is also a
keen surfer, often travelling to north Devon and Cornwall, or further afield if possible!

Note for editors:
The British Accreditation Council was established in 1984 to be the national accrediting
body for private post-16 education in the UK. A charity whose governing Council is
nominated by stakeholders such as Universities UK, QAA, UKCISA, the British Council
and awarding bodies, BAC plays a key role in improving quality and raising standards
in independent further and higher education. BAC is UK Border Agency approved for
the purposes of sponsorship under the Points Based System; Tier 4 of the PBS was
recently implemented for issuing visas to non-EEA nationals who wish to pursue
programmes of study in the United Kingdom.