Keele University has appointed Port Vale Football Club chair, Carol Shanahan OBE, as its new Chancellor. 

The prominent business and community leader, who was awarded an honorary degree by the university in 2022 for her services to the community, becomes the sixth person to hold the role.

Carol is the first woman to be appointed since Keele's inaugural Chancellor, HRH The Princess Margaret, who held the position from 1962 to 1986. 

The Chancellor is the University's most senior honorary position and includes presiding at graduation and other key ceremonial duties. 

Carol said she felt "honoured beyond words" to be appointed as Chancellor and was "excited to get started" in the role.

She succeeds Lord Timpson OBE, who stepped down as the University's Chancellor after being appointed Prisons Minister in the UK Government.

"I've long admired the important role Keele University plays across the region and beyond, and its commitment to creating positive social impact and widening opportunity closely reflects the values that have guided my own work over many years," she said. 

"Academic rigour, leadership and guidance are vital if we want to drive meaningful social change, and universities like Keele have a crucial role to play in helping tackle some of the major challenges facing society. 

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"I spoke to the previous Chancellor, Lord Timpson, and told him he had left very big boots to fill, but I'm incredibly excited to get started. I look forward to encouraging and celebrating the achievements of our students - the next generation of leaders and changemakers - and to supporting the university in every way I can." 

Keele University has celebrated Carol as a distinguished business leader, civic figure and philanthropist with a strong record of ethical leadership, community impact and public service.

She is widely recognised for her contribution to regional regeneration, education and social mobility, particularly in Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands. 

She co-founded Synectics Solutions, a UK-based technology company specialising in data analytics and financial crime prevention, which grew under her leadership into an internationally respected organisation working with governments, financial institutions and public sector bodies, leading to a Queen's Award for enterprise. 

Alongside her business career, Carol has played a significant role in sporting and civic leadership as chair of Port Vale Football Club, a position she has held since 2019.

Taking ownership at a time of significant financial risk, she is credited with placing the club on a more sustainable and transparent footing, emphasising community engagement, good governance and long-term responsibility. 

Welcoming the appointment, Keele University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kevin Shakesheff, said: "I'm delighted to welcome Carol to the University. Her career exemplifies values strongly aligned with Keele University's mission – access to education, social justice, civic responsibility, sustainability and partnership with local communities.

"Her blend of entrepreneurial success, leadership experience and deep regional commitment make her a highly credible and respected ambassador for the University, and I am sure she will be a source of great inspiration and a fantastic role model to our students, staff and alumni alike." 

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Carol also founded the Hubb Foundation, a charitable organisation set up in 2018 to support children and families in Stoke-on-Trent during school holidays. Now a trustee and patron of the charity, it reached a milestone in 2024 when it provided its one millionth free meal.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, Carol oversaw the transformation of Port Vale FC into a thriving community hub. She galvanised volunteers, local businesses and staff from Port Vale FC, and sister companies Synectics Solutions, Summit Hospitality, as well as the Port Vale Foundation and Hubb Foundation charities.

Together, the teams oversaw the delivery of 350,000 meals to homes across Stoke-on-Trent. 

Along with being awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to the community of Stoke-on-Trent, Carol was also awarded the Freedom of Stoke-on-Trent in 2025, in recognition of her impact on Burslem and the wider city. 

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