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Vice-Chancellor honoured with Inspirational Leader Award

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Paul Croney OBE has received an Inspirational Leader Award at the Northern Echo’s BUSINESSiQ Awards.

The award was given in recognition of his contribution to education, leadership and the North East region, and in particular for his successes at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ where he has served as Vice-Chancellor since 2015. The Northern Echo BUSINESSiQ awards, which took place at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, celebrate leadership, innovation and achievement across the North East’s business, public and education sectors, bringing together organisations and individuals who are helping to shape the future of the region.

Mike Hughes, Business and Commercial Editor at the Northern Echo, said: ‘The Influential leader Award is central to everything we are doing.

‘The way we are led matters – colleagues and clients react to the right attitudes and a vision to take things further and faster.

‘Leadership now and in the future is a vital part of the region’s growth and the winner of this year’s award has worked tirelessly within his business and far beyond for more than thirty years - ten of them in his current role - to provide the foundations we are all building on.’

Throughout his tenure at º£½ÇÖ±²¥, Professor Croney has overseen a period of exceptional growth, innovation, and recognition, positioning º£½ÇÖ±²¥ as a leading institution in higher education both nationally and internationally. This has culminated in the University being recognised as the Times Higher Education University of the Year for 2025.

Due to work commitments overseas, Professor Croney was unable to attend the BUSINESSiQ awards in person but shared a recorded acceptance message with those gathered.

In his remarks, Professor Croney thanked the judges for the recognition, saying he was ‘deeply honoured’ to receive the award.

He used the moment to recognise the collective effort behind the University’s success, emphasising the role of colleagues across the institution.

He said: ‘As the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of º£½ÇÖ±²¥ I can only do my job with the support of all my colleagues.

‘So, this award is also for all the amazing staff at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ who always deliver despite all the challenges that we face.

‘Education and leadership have been my career, so to be given the Inspirational Leader Award means a great deal to me.’

He also paid tribute to the wider region and congratulated all those nominated saying, ‘without doubt the North East is a region of ambition, drive and innovation that achieves so much’.