About the PLuS Alliance

The major challenges facing the world today are global and interdisciplinary in nature. The development of potential sustainable solutions are beyond the capacity of any single institution - public or private.

A combined effort

The PLuS Alliance capitalizes on the education and research strengths of the partners to create and share knowledge to solve pressing educational and societal challenges. The goal of the Alliance is to empower global communities to address their local needs to create a sustainable future for all.

Photo of PLuS Leadership
From left to right: Ellen Levy, Michael M. Crow, Ian Jacobs, Sir Malcolm Grant, Charles Clarke, Gail Kelly, Ed Byrne, and Paul Ramadge.

Leadership

The Alliance is led by a world class team of leaders with the vision and tenacity to impact the world:
Professor Edward Byrne | King's | President and Principal

Professor Edward Byrne AC is the President & Principal of King’s College London. He joined King’s from Monash University, the largest university in Australia, where he was President and Vice-Chancellor. Professor Byrne held that role from 2009. Professor Byrne is a neuroscientist and clinician by background. Professor Byrne has held many prestigious clinical and research positions in Australia and the UK, as well as advisory roles for a number of charitable bodies relating to his clinical and scientific expertise.

Professor Ian Jacobs | UNSW | President and Vice-Chancellor

Professor Ian Jacobs BA, MA, MBBS, MD, FRCOG is President and Vice-Chancellor of UNSW Sydney Professor Jacobs came to Australia from the UK, where he had a distinguished career as a leading researcher in the area of women’s health and cancer and in university leadership. Immediately prior to joining UNSW he was Vice President and Dean at the University of Manchester and Director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, a partnership linking the University with six healthcare organisations involving over 36,000 staff. He was previously at University College London, where he created and led the Institute for Women’s Health, was Research Director of UCL Partners and Dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.

Professor Michael M. Crow | ASU | President

Michael M. Crow, PhD, became the 16th President of Arizona State University in 2002. An academic leader and educator, designer of knowledge enterprises, and science and technology policy scholar, Professor Crow is guiding the transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public metropolitan research universities, an institution that combines the highest levels of academic excellence, inclusiveness to a broad demographic, and maximum societal impact—a model he terms the “New American University.” Under his leadership, ASU has established more than a dozen new transdisciplinary schools and large-scale research initiatives, nearly tripled its research expenditures, and completed an unprecedented infrastructure expansion. 

Executive committee
Brian Boyle
UNSW Sydney
Merlin Crossley
UNSW Sydney
Chris Mottershead
King's College London
Funmi Olonisakin
King's College London
Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan
Arizona State University
Phil Regier
Arizona State University
Advisory board
Charles Clarke
British Labour Party politician and former Home Secretary, England
Malcolm Grant
Advisory Board Chair, NHS England
Gail Kelly
Former CEO of Westpac
Ellen Levy
Managing Director, Silicon Valley Connect, USA
Management team
Paul Ramadge
Managing Director, PLuS Alliance
Vinita Chanan
Program Lead, UNSW Sydney
Sarah Whittaker-Gilbey
Program Lead, King's College London
Janice Kleinwort
Program Lead, ASU