Written Statement: Establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research - Appointment of the Chief Executive Officer

Further to my written statement of 19 April, I am pleased to confirm the appointment of Simon Pirotte OBE as Chief Executive for the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.

I am grateful to the Children, Young People and Education Committee for their report which endorsed Simon following his pre-appointment hearing on 25 May 2023 and, whilst I would respectfully disagree with the Committee’s conclusion on the recruitment process which led to the appointment, I note this in no way reflects on Simon’s candidacy for the role. 

Simon will take up post in September and I look forward to working with him as we establish the Commission as the first ever national steward for the whole tertiary and research sector, bringing together responsibility for overseeing Wales's higher and further education, school sixth forms, apprenticeships and research and innovation in one place. Simon’s appointment has been widely welcomed across the various post 16 sectors and I am confident the combination of skills, knowledge and leadership brought by Simon, alongside those of Professor Dame Julie Lydon as Chair and Professor David Sweeney as Deputy Chair, will produce a team capable of delivering our innovative and ambitious vision for Wales’s tertiary education and research sector.