Professor Lesley Haig has been Vice-Chancellor and CEO of AECC University College, a specialist health sciences institution in Bournemouth, since 2019. She is a UK-registered physiotherapist who has worked for over 25 years as a senior academic leader, researcher and clinician in several UK universities. Prof Haig has extensive experience of developing new academic provision across allied health, sport and exercise rehabilitation disciplines and university-based clinics. With a background in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and sports medicine in NHS and independent practice settings, and research interests in motivational interviewing, she is a passionate advocate for inter-professional education and personalised care. She is a member of the GuildHE Council, sits on the Advisory Board of Universities UK International, and the Advisory Board of Singapore General Hospital’s Postgraduate Allied Health Institute. Building upon AECC UC’s heritage as a chiropractic training college, with a large community-based provision of MSK and diagnostic imaging services, the institutional strategy to diversify academic provision, research and clinical services and its role as an anchor institution, supporting its stakeholders and system partners, is well under way.