RACHEL ELIAS-LEE

Rachel Elias-Lee re-joined the USW Family in 2018 as the Faculty Chief Operating Officer for the former Faculty of Business and Society, before being appointed as the Director of Transformation, where she initiated, developed and drove USW’s approach to strategic change management and operationally led the University’s initial Gold/Command response to the Covid pandemic. 

Before re-joining USW, Rachel was the Director of Finance at WJEC CBAC Ltd (from 2014), where she led the business of the group through the 2015 Wales/England subject reform, to retain awarding organisation status and implemented significant system, planning and audit improvements along the way. Prior to this, Rachel was Deputy Principal of Resources (and Director of Merthyr Learning Quarter (MLQ) Project) at The College Merthyr Tydfil (2009 - 2013), a USW group company, where she oversaw the sector leading and award winning £33M change programme (including new build) to transform post-16 education in Merthyr Tydfil/Heads of Valley region.

Rachel is a professionally qualified fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and advises on several external Boards and Panels on Financial Strategy and Business Transformation.