Our structure

Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), a member of the Executive Board of Vice Chancellors' Council for Private Universities Malaysia and a Director at the British Malaysia Chamber of Commerce.

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer was appointed in January 2022 to lead the delivery of the University's sustainability strategy and goals, that form the basis through which we will demonstrate our global leadership to our community and international stakeholders.

Professor Dame Heather J. McGregor DBE FRSE is the Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai. Previously, Professor McGregor was the Executive Dean of the Edinburgh Business School, having held the post since 2016.

Penny joined the University in July 2024 and works as the University's Global Director of Human Resources (HR).

Professor McLaughlin joined the University as a Professor of Signal Processing in 2011, going on to become Executive Dean of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences and our Deputy Principal for Research and Impact from 2022-2024.

Ruth Moir is the University Secretary and Vice-Principal (Governance and Operations) for Heriot-Watt University.

Professor Gillian Murray is Deputy Principal Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University, driving innovation, industry engagement and inclusive education. Her leadership has positioned the university as a national leader in work-based learning and high-impact collaboration.

Professor Tadhg O’Donovan is the Chief Scientist at Heriot-Watt University and former Deputy Vice Principal of the Dubai Campus. With over 19 years in academia, he is a seasoned academic leader specialising in Renewable Energy Engineering, Technology Enhance Teaching Innovation and Transnational Education.

Martin has been the Global Chief Financial Officer at Heriot Watt University since his appointment in April 2024.

Professor Chris Turney was appointed in August 2025 to lead the delivery of the University's research and impact strategy.

Richard A Williams is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. His background is an academic and entrepreneur in mineral engineering, energy storage systems and environmental technologies.