Uni of Sussex hires new director to oversee £500m masterplan

The University of Sussex has appointed a new director of estates and facilities management to oversee the £500m redevelopment and ongoing improvement of its campus, a scheme which is due to be rolled out over the next decade.Simon Neale will join the university in mid-July from the National University of Singapore where he is associate vice president of campus infrastructure. Neale has held leadership roles in various large organisations including the University of Essex, Queen Mary University of London, Westminster City Council, The British Museum and The National Trust. At Sussex, he will be responsible for overseeing the university’s relationship with its facilities management partners.He will also lead the implementation of the university’s campus masterplan, which was approved in 2016 and will guide the investment of around £500m to upgrade and transform the university’s site at Falmer.This includes the development of new student residences, where work is already under way, and a life sciences estate, which was approved by Brighton & Hove City Council in February 2017. The role is currently filled by Charles Dudley, who has been with the university for over 40 years and is due to retire in September this year.