Amanda Niblett

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2024.

Amanda is the University of East London's (UEL) IT director, where she has been a pivotal figure since January 2015. Amanda directs the client services division of the IT Services Department, overseeing strategy, process re-engineering and team development. Her responsibilities include managing the IT budget, developing policies and leading all personnel matters. Additionally, she deputises for the CIO, assisting in the recruitment, management and development of the Infrastructure and Applications Teams.

Amanda has extensive experience in higher education IT services, demonstrated by her previous long-term role at the University of Southampton. There she led a team of 54 staff providing first and second-line support to a customer base of 30,000. Her role encompassed supporting over 150 applications across multiple operating systems and hardware, promoting service improvement and customer service best practices following ITIL guidelines. As a PRINCE2 practitioner, Amanda was actively involved in project management activities, advising on business-as-usual support post-project and end-user training requirements.

Throughout her career, Amanda has consistently delivered transformational change and added business value through the adoption of contemporary digital technologies. She is known for her tenacity, pragmatism and strong stakeholder management and communication skills. Amanda has a proven track record in rebuilding failing IT functions and introducing best practice governance frameworks and methodologies. Her advanced digital capabilities span finance, HR, e-learning, student administration, web content management, document management and enterprise portals.

Amanda's results-driven approach and dedication to excellence continue to make a significant impact on the IT landscape in higher education, ensuring that both UEL and its students benefit from enhanced and innovative IT services.