Time to Talk (FD/CFO only): Restructuring a University - What We Were Told, What We Found, and What We Did
Tuesday 4 November 2025
10:00 - 11:00 (the session may be extended slightly should the Q&A require it)
(Please note this session is for CFOs/FDs only, and will not be recorded)
We are delighted to welcome Faye Dunn and Michael Healy, project leads at the recent transformation project at Rose Bruford College.
When they were brought in, the university’s leadership described a crisis of declining enrolment, financial strain, and fragmented internal communications and a lack of systems. The narrative pointed to external pressures and siloed departments as the root causes. Yet a different picture actually emerged. The real issues lay in misaligned governance, a lack of operational and financial models, zero financial reporting and a lack of strategic clarity across academic and administrative functions and an embedded culture divorced entirely from a strategic plan. The transformation approach combined structural reform with cultural renewal and updated systems, as well as a new way of looking at departments.
Zooming out, this case reflects broader sector-wide challenges: the need for universities to move beyond reactive restructuring and toward proactive transformation. That means rethinking governance, embracing adaptive leadership, and designing institutions that are fit for the future—not just surviving the present.
SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHIES
Faye Dunn and Michael Healy are seasoned restructuring professionals from Dunn Healy Advisory, with over 60 years of combined experience across finance, advisory, and transformation. Faye brings deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, risk, and institutional transformation, with recent work at the Department for Education in Higher Education restructurings. Michael is a Chartered Management Accountant and licensed insolvency practitioner, known for his incisive analysis and collaborative leadership across complex restructuring projects. Their work reflects a shared ethos: honest diagnosis, practical solutions, and sector-wide insight.
If you have a query regarding your booking, please contact events@bufdg.ac.uk
Tagged : Finance Directors, Events, Finance Directors
Type : Training
