After six years as NUS Chief Executive, Matt will be taking up his new role as Chief Executive of the Scout Association on 29th April 2013, replacing Derek Twine CBE, who is retiring from the post after 16 years of service.
Since his appointment as NUS Chief Executive in 2006, Matt has lead an organisation that has won campaigns that have saved students hundreds of millions of pounds, has significantly increasing membership satisfaction and has become a financially stable and sustainable organisation fit for the challenges ahead.
These achievements were underpinned by a financial turnaround, an award-winning programme of governance reform and the development of cutting-edge, digital campaigning.
In announcing his departure Matt Hyde said “It has been a huge privilege to serve as NUS Chief Executive and to have worked to change students’ lives and champion strong students’ unions over the past six years. I am particularly fortunate to have worked with such amazing, talented, and brilliant officers and staff right across the student movement.” He went on to add “In this, NUS' ninetieth year, I feel particularly fortunate to have made a contribution to an organisation with such a long and proud history of defending, extending and promoting the rights of students. I have no doubt that NUS will continue to learn and grow, building on its firm foundations in UK civil society.”
In responding to Matt’s announcement, Liam Burns the President of the organisation said “Matt has had an absolutely transformational impact on NUS since his appointment in 2006 and has played a hugely significant role in the student movement, winning the respect and trust of staff and students alike. On behalf of all the staff and officers at NUS and in our member students’ unions, I would like to pay tribute to Matt for his sterling work, congratulate him on this exciting and well-deserved new role, and of course, wish him all the very best for the future.”
The recruitment process for his replacement at NUS will begin shortly.
Matt Hyde has been involved in the student movement for almost two decades, having first been elected as the President at Queen Mary, University of London Students’ Union before going on to be the President of the University of London Union (ULU). He later worked at Kings College London Students’ Union and Goldsmiths Students’ Union before joining NUS in 2005/2006 and being appointed the organisation’s Chief Executive in 2007.
Selected NUS Achievements 2006-2012
- Won NUS campaign against HSBC graduate overdraft charges in 2007, which saved students an estimated £20 million per year
- Increased sales of NUS Extra Cards to a record-breaking 480,000 in 2011/12
- Secured more than 1300 parliamentary candidates signatures for NUS ‘Vote for Students’ 2010 general election pledge against higher fees
- Mobilised 50,000 students for 2010 ‘Fund Our Future’ demonstration in London.
- 2008 Third Sector Excellence Award for ‘Use of Digital Media'
- 2010 Third Sector Excellence Award for ‘Trustee Board of the Year’
- Sustainability Partner of the Year Award at the inaugural Stars of Sustainability Awards
- Enacted a protocol agreement with the TUC to establish a single, co-ordinated approach to trade union project and campaign work
- Supported the transition of students’ unions to charitable registration following 2006 Charities Act
- Brought in more than £1 million of external project funding for NUS
- Launched successful third party High Court intervention in London Metropolitan University’s 2012 legal case against UKBA to ensure international students could complete their studies.
- Held first ever Global Student Leadership Summit in 2012 with participants from more than 30 countries.
- Stopped tuition fees and saved EMA in Scotland, and NUS Scotland’s SVCO Award Winning Budget for Bursaries campaign secured £15 million from the Scottish Government towards college bursaries and £8 million on new college places
- Ensured students from Northern Ireland studying in Northern Ireland would see no rise in tuition fees beyond inflation and saved its EMA scheme.
- Ensured students from Wales would not face an increase in tuition fees, regardless of where they study in the UK and secured future of Assembly Learning Grant and saved its EMA scheme.