Jane Ashcroft - Charity CEO and HR specialist

Jane is currently Chief Executive at Anchor, England's largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people.

After graduation, Jane began her career with a graduate training scheme in the Electricity industry, during the period of privatisation, and went on to a number of governance and HR roles in the sector.

She then moved on to working for housing associations, before becoming Personnel Director of Care First plc, a national care home provider across the UK, in 1997. From Care First she joined BUPA in their HR function, moving to Anchor in 1999, where she held general management and specialist roles, before being appointed CEO in 2009. Anchor provides housing and care services to 40,000 older people, with a workforce of 9,500 people.

Jane has also been a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Stroud and Swindon Building Society, and was formerly Chair of Care England. She is currently on the Board of Dignity plc and is a Trustee of The Silver Line.

In 2013, Jane was awarded a CBE for services to older people in the New Year Honours.

I remember being impressed by the campus from my first visit, and at various points in my time at Stirling getting up “early” to go for a run – which usually turned into a walk to the MacBob for coffee and a rock bun!

Halls were freezing cold but friendly, my course was fabulous with some amazing lecturers who inspired and supported me, I loved the international nature of the student group, and sharing campus flats with some fascinating people, and most of all I learnt a lot about myself and some key skills which have been the basis of my unplanned but varied career!

Jane Ashcroft
BA History, 1988