Toni Pearce

The President of the National Union of Students is always likely to feature on an HE Power List. But Toni Pearce has not engaged with HE in a way that some of her higher-profile predecessors did, and so has consequently landed on the bottom half of this list. However during her tenure, NUS’ standing in the sector has grown and she has helped cement the union’s emerging role as a semi-‘owner’ of the sector – always consulted on policy, and aided by a powerhouse of policy wonks that have helped propel student issues to the core of the sector’s thinking and the top of its agenda. Her media profile has suffered because broadcast journalists haven’t been able to make serious hay out of their favourite HE issue (fees) during Pearce’s time in office. But as her predecessors will attest, that is something for which she should be extremely thankful.