The Minister with responsibility for the University, Gilbert Licudi, has announced the appointment of Albert Langston as the new chairman of the Board of Governors of the University.

Albert Langston brings extensive experience and understanding of corporate governance built over a period of over 40 years. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gibraltar International Bank Limited.

Mr Langston is a former Chairman and Country Manager of Lloyds Bank Gibraltar and former Assistant General Manager of Barclays (Gibraltar Management) Limited. He has been President of the Gibraltar Bankers’ Association (two terms) as well as having served on the board of the Gibraltar Deposit Protection Scheme and founding member of the Gibraltar Finance Centre Council. He is also Chairman of the Gibraltar Magistrates’ Association and a Lay Assessor for complicated financial Supreme Court cases.

Mr Langston succeeds Jose Julio Pisharello as Chairman of the University’s Board of Governors. Mr Pisharello’s term of office comes to an end on 24 September 2018.

Mr Pisharello said, “I was truly humbled when Mr Licudi approached me back in 2015 to serve as Chair of the Board. It has indeed been a privilege and honour to have done so notwithstanding the many challenges and the understandable high expectations that such an exciting project elicited.

I was extremely fortunate in chairing a Board which included professionals of the highest calibre and repute. I would like to express my sincere thanks to them. I wish the University every success.”

Mr Langston said, “It is a tremendous privilege to have been invited by the Minister to serve as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of Gibraltar. The University has a very promising and exciting future ahead and I am honoured to have been approached to be its Chair.”

Darren Grech has also been appointed as one of the governors. Mr Grech brings a great deal of experience in education and in management and has already been working with the University.

Mr Langston and Mr Grech join the existing members of the Board, Frank Carreras, Professor Clive Finlayson, Professor Ian Peate, the recently appointed staff representative, Louise Garcia as well as the University’s Vice-Chancellor (ag) Professor Catherine Bachleda, the University’s Financial Comptroller, Paul Bowling and the Director of Education, Jackie Mason.

Mr Licudi said, “I wish to thank Mr Pisharello as well as the two other outgoing members of the Board, Peter Montegriffo and Ernest Gomez for their service to the University. They have made a very substantial contribution to the University both collectively and individually. They were inaugural governors and took over a brand new institution with all the challenges that that entails. Under their leadership, the University has set solid foundations and is now in a position to reap rewards through a process of consolidation and expansion.

I have always believed that we created a unique institution with enormous potential. The availability of student accommodation as from next year puts the University well on the road towards achieving that potential. Albert Langston’s experience and expertise will no doubt be an asset to the University combined with the range of talent in the Board of Governors. I am truly excited about the future of the University.”