The UK¡¯s university admissions service has looked outside the sector to find its next chief executive.

Clare Marchant, currently chief executive of Worcestershire County Council, will take on the top job at Ucas in July.

She succeeds Mary Curnock Cook, who leaves the Cheltenham-based organisation at the end of April after seven years in the role.

Andrew Hargreaves, Ucas¡¯ director of customer experience and marketing, will serve as interim chief executive until Ms Marchant takes up the post.

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Ms Marchant started her career in production management for food producer Rank Hovis McDougall, before joining accountancy firm Deloitte and leading IT programmes in the public and private sector. She led a series of IT programmes in the NHS for seven years before joining Worcestershire County Council in 2010, becoming its chief executive in 2014.

Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter and chair of Ucas, said Ms Marchant would bring ¡°a wealth of senior leadership experience and an impressive track record in the successful delivery of technology-enabled change in the public and private sectors¡±.

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¡°She is well-placed to lead Ucas as it presses ahead with the development and delivery of the next generation of information, admissions and data services,¡± Sir Steve said.

Ms Marchant is a graduate of the University of Hull and the Open University, and an independent governor of the University of Wolverhampton.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com