Joan Concannon was appointed as the University of York’s first Chief Reputation and Stakeholder Relations Officer on 1st August 2025, reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor. Her portfolio includes reputation and brand management, stakeholder engagement identifying opportunities to develop scalable triple helix partnerships to drive public, private, and philanthropic income diversification and growth, a portfolio of communications including media and research communications, staff and student communications. She also leads the York Festival of Ideas which she co-founded in 2011 and is now one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the UK. She has specific University Executive Board level leadership across a range of regional economic development partnerships including Mayoral Combined authorities, city of York Council, Darlington Economic Campus, and major land asset development commercial partners such as York Central. She is also the lead for the University on all higher education sectoral issues.

Prior to this appointment she was the University’s Director of External Relations and a member of its executive board since October 2009. Additionally, she is a founding director and board member of Make It York, the city’s Management Destination Organisation. She is also an elected member of the Council of the Royal Institute for Philosophy and a Non-Fellow member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee. Before joining the University of York in 2009, Joan was the Director of External Relations at the University of Dundee for seven years and co-led the V&A at Dundee project during its initial two years, which secured significant Scottish government financial support and widespread public engagement.