'Passionate supporter of women in business' to become chancellor of University of the West of Scotland

Otarui holds four degrees and is said to have considerable industrial experience in engineering and marketing. She is co-founder and executive director at Doqaru, an Aberdeen-based sales and marketing consultancy.

UWS’s new chancellor is also a board member of Interface, which connects a wide range of organisations from national and international industries to Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges, matching them with academic expertise to help them grow.

A bestselling author and social media expert, Otarui is also known for her innovative use of platforms such as LinkedIn.

As chancellor, she will hold formal powers to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions, and will represent UWS at key events as an advocate and dignitary.

She said: “I am honoured to have been appointed chancellor-elect of University of the West of Scotland, following in the footsteps of a remarkable individual in Dame Elish Angiolini.

“We are all living through challenging times, and higher education plays a vital role in society and for our economy. I eagerly look forward to being part of the university, as it continues to carry out world-class research and knowledge transfer initiatives such as in the areas of healthcare and sports science.”

Professor Craig Mahoney, principal and vice-chancellor at UWS, added: “Yekemi’s values very much align with those of UWS, from her passion for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion to her commitment to enterprise, and her appointment is reflective of our strategic mission to make a positive difference to wider society.

“Yekemi is a remarkable example of entrepreneurship and a tremendous role model for our students and wider university community. I am delighted to welcome her to the UWS family.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Dame Elish Angiolini, who has been an outstanding chancellor and ambassador for the university. I am deeply grateful for the committed and inspirational role she has played in our UWS community.”

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