Trustee board

Our Board of Trustees is the highest decision-making body at NTSU. Their duty is to ensure that the charity (Nottingham Trent Students' Union) complies with our governing document and the law.

NTSU's Board is chaired by NTSU President Jess Walker. They safeguard the vision and values of the Union, establish the organisation's strategic direction, and ensure it meets the needs of its members. 

Our trustees ensure NTSU strives for good operational practice and review and monitor the organisation's performance and progress towards its objectives. In addition, the trustees ensure the organisation works within its charitable purpose and complying with its governing document at all times.

Every trustee is responsible for this. Even if specific tasks are done by individual trustees, employees or volunteers, all trustees are responsible.  

Each trustee has their own experiences that collectively help the Board to carry out its role. They are all equal in terms of responsibility and fall into three categories:

• Officer trustees
• Student trustees
• External trustees

Officer trustees

Jess Walker - President:

Jess Walker serves as President of the Nottingham Trent Students’ Union (NTSU), starting her term in July 2024. Previously, she was Vice President Education, where she worked on improving student support and academic standards. Her role as President involves managing relationships between NTSU, the university, and the local Nottingham community, including chairing the NTSU’s Board of Trustees and being a member of the Board of Governors at NTU.

• Chair of NTSU’s Board of Trustees: Oversees the strategic direction and governance of the Students' Union.
• Member of NTU's Board of Governors: Participates in high-level decision-making processes affecting the university.
• Leads the NTSU Executive Team: Manages the team to ensure effective student representation and support.
• Former VP Education: Focused on academic standards and student needs, sitting on various quality assurance boards and committees.
• BA (Hons) Business Graduate: Engaged in student representation and leadership as President and Social Secretary of an NTSU society.
   

 

Olivia Brooks - VP Community & Welfare:

Olivia Brooks, re-elected as VP Community and Welfare, focuses on student wellbeing, equality, diversity, and sustainability. She leads various campaigns and sits on several committees to enhance student life and safety.

• Chairs the Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee: Leads initiatives on sustainability and ethical governance.
• Sits on the Health, Safety, and Risk Committee: Ensures student safety and wellbeing.
• Co-chairs Sustainability Advisory Group: Works with the Sustainability officer to promote a sustainable ethos at NTSU.
• Represents students on the EDI Strategy Board and Carbon Programme Group: Advocates for equality, diversity, and sustainability at the university.
• Led safety campaigns: Successfully installed bleed kits and implemented welfare cards at venues.
• BSc Psychology with Criminology Graduate: Specialized in international crime and conducted research on international students' experiences.
• Active in Women’s Welfare Society: Created events and communicated welfare needs.
• Worked as Welfare Crew at Stealth Nightclub: Ensured customer safety alongside security and medics.
• Ambassador for WYA app: Helped students find friends in clubs for safety.
   

 

Libby Sinclair – VP Education:

Libby Sinclair, elected as VP Education in July 2024, represents students' academic needs, and strives to enhance the student experience. She attends various university boards and committees to ensure students' voices are heard.

• Attends Quality Assurance Boards and Academic Standards Committees: Advocates for students' academic needs.
• BA (Hons) Philosophy and Global Studies Graduate: Engaged in student activities and leadership roles.
• Former NTSU History Society Social Secretary: Organized events and provided student support.
• Committed to Student Support and Engagement: Works to create a supportive and dynamic community for students. 

 

 

Mollie Vadher – VP Postgraduate:

Mollie Vadher, serving as VP Postgraduate since July 2024, focuses on enhancing the experience and academic representation of postgraduate, international, and doctoral students.

• Works with VP Education and NTSU Student Voice Team: Supports academic course representatives at the postgraduate level.
• Undergraduate Degree in Law with Criminology: Continued education with the Legal Practice Course.
• Former Social Secretary of Lex Law Society: Led events and lobbied for student representation and engagement.

 

Jasmine Gaunt: VP Opportunities

Jasmine Gaunt was elected as NTSU's VP Opportunities, taking office in July 2023. She sits on various boards and committees at the University, and her role focuses on supporting societies and providing opportunities within NTSU to the wider student population.

During her time at NTU, Jasmine has had various achievements and engaged in many extra-curricular activities alongside her studies, some of her highlights are:

• Being an active member of NTU Cheer since 2019/20
• Completing a 13-month placement as a Sport Science and Testing Intern at Gymshark
• Volunteering as Vice-Captain of a Fresher Rep team during Freshers week 2022 and winning Vice Captain of the week
• Working as a course rep for a year
• Running the Birmingham half marathon as a team with colleagues from Gymshark to raise money for Alzheimer's Society 
• Volunteering as a Games Ambassador at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games
• Working as a Gymnastics Coach when back in her hometown

Jasmine is set to complete her undergraduate studies in August 2023

 

Jasmyn Smith - VP Sport:

Jasmyn Smith was elected as VP Sport in July 2024. She collaborates with NTSU and NTU Sport to enhance the student sporting experience, drawing on her extensive involvement in sports during her time at NTU.

• Engaged in NTU Cheerleading: Member since 2021/22, participated in varsity and competition cheer teams, and Trent Tigers dance team.
• Social and Wellbeing Officer for NTU Cheerleading: Supported team members and organized events.
• Competed with Trent Dance: Participated in advanced hip-hop and varsity dance teams.
• Freshers' Week Volunteer: Served as a team member in 2022 and Vice-Captain of Byron residence in 2023.
• Competed with East Midlands Cheerleading Academy: Involved in all-star cheerleading during 2023/24.
• Pursued degrees in Psychology and Forensic Mental Health: Combined academic and extracurricular activities to enhance her university experience.

 

Grace Fox – Brackenhurst Officer

 

 

Student Trustees

 

Tony Clarke

My name is Tony, and I’m entering the second year of a Business Foundation degree. I plan to extend this BA (Hons) in Business and then follow up with a Master's before hopefully beginning a new career in Teaching in either an FE or HE setting… all while currently running my own self-employed business.

I’m passionate about improving the student experience, particularly for those students at NTU Mansfield Hub and Mature Students. I hold the position of course representative and helped shape changes for my cohort in the last academic year, including running two teaching sessions myself to help consolidate their learning ahead of assessment periods. These actions helped me achieve “Course Representative of the Year’ at the 2024 NTSU Awards ceremony.

In addition to the Student Trustee role, I was elected as the NTSU Mansfield Officer in the 2024/25 academic year. I plan to use both roles to make positive, lasting changes to enhance student engagement and experience.

Outside of work and study, I'm an AFOL (Adult fan of Lego) with an extensive collection waiting to be built. My Jack Russel, Bliss, is rarely far away from me and loves car rides, walks, and occasional visits to the SU.

 

 

Melekwe Ebite

Hello! I'm a first-year, soon-to-be second-year Accounting and Finance student with aspirations of working in data analysis. I decided to become a student trustee to create a lasting, positive impact within our community. My passion for sports, including boxing and swimming, fuels my dedication to discipline and perseverance. I am committed to using my skills and interests to contribute to our board's initiatives. My goal is to foster a more inclusive and dynamic campus community, where every student feels heard and valued. With a keen eye for detail and a heart set on progress, I am excited to bring a fresh perspective and drive meaningful change.

 

 

Nikita Shefner

Nikita is a student studying Politics and International Relations. He works in the School of Social Sciences and has an interest in examining the policymaking process at the foreign and domestic level. 

Nikita began his engagement with NTSU in his first year of study. Working as a Course Representative, Nikita attended School Forum meetings, Course Committee's, alongside termly NTSU Union Meetings, making sure that student voice is represented front and centre. Nikita became a student trustee at the end of his first year, formally accepting the position in June 2024. 

Nikita had this to say following his appointment to the trustee board: "It is a great honour to be asked to join the Board of Trustees. I'm very excited to be a part of the NTSU family and I cannot wait to officially start working in this role this coming autumn!

I've completed my training for the position, and I've already observed one trustee board meeting. Student voice and diversity are one of the core pillars of NTSU and I promise to safeguard these principles whenever we vote on any motion at the Board or Committe level. 

External Trustees

 

Geoff Love - University Appointed Trustee

Geoff Love was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Commify, Europe's leading business messaging solutions provider. After leading a management buyout of Nottingham-based Esendex, he partnered with private equity to create the Commify group of companies. Working with over 35,000 businesses worldwide and with turnover approaching €100m, Commify's mission is to 'make business communication brilliant'. The group operates around a dozen global brands from its Nottingham headquarters.

After graduating from Sheffield University with a degree in Business Studies, Geoff started his career in retail banking, specialising in marketing, where he held many senior roles with the likes of Lloyds TSB and Alliance & Leicester. He was Customer Marketing Director of HomeServe and a member of its UK board, seeing its sales increase tenfold during his tenure before swapping insurance for software.

Geoff lives in Nottingham with his two teenage children and wife, a senior lecturer at NTU.

 

Kudzai Muzangaza

Kudzai is a Principal Auditor and Chartered Accountant (ACA) at Capital One UK. He is responsible for the execution of risk based internal audits across the Capital One UK and Canada card businesses covering a suite of activities which include Customer Service, Risk Operations, and Legal and Governance.

He is a graduate of the University of Lincoln, having completed a degree in Psychology and was the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Lincoln Students' Union. Kudzai completed his training with PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and was heavily involved in the internal audits of Higher Education organisations, charities and publicly listed companies.

Outside of work Kudzai is an avid music and Formula 1 fan. He currently splits his time between Nottingham and London.

 

Dr Georgie Benford

Dr Georgie Benford is an Associate Head of School at the University of West England, Bristol. She is a Criminologist and academic leader with a wide range of educational governance experience. Georgie joined the board in June 2023, but her first experience of trusteeship within an SU, was as a Sabbatical at Loughborough University. Returning to this sector she hopes to make an impact on NTSU's sustainability, wellbeing and equality agenda.

Board Summaries