Vice-Principal (Strategy) and Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The Vice-Principal (Strategy) and COO plays a major role in the formulation and execution of both the short- and longer-term financial strategies, the development of the University’s estate, and strategic resource allocation. They oversee major projects and the long-term development and implementation of cultural and organisational change as well as the implementation of the University’s Strategy. ‌The Vice-Principal (Strategy) and COO is responsible for providing strategic leadership in the overall development of the University’s professional services with direct responsibilities for: Estates, Finance, IT, Residential and Business Services. They also chair the Eden Campus Board that supports the work of Space and Asset Management Committee and enabling the work of St Andrews Innovation. 

Ester Ruskuc has been with the University since 1993 and held a number of positions from Administrative Assistant, Cash Office Manager, Financial Accounts Manager, IT Helpdesk Manager, Business Improvements Operations Manager, Director of Registry, Academic Registrar, Director of Strategy, and Policy, and Vice-Principal (Strategy, Policy and Planning) collaborating with many colleagues across the University.

For a number of these roles Ester was the first incumbent. In 2002 Ester led the project which implemented the first online payment system as well as the first online advising solution for the University; she also led the implementation of the Higher Education Achievement Report still being issued to every graduate.

A keen interest in understanding the bigger picture, bringing about improvements and developing others have been the motivating themes of Ester’s career. Ester was a member of the team that established the BA International Honours Degree with the College of William and Mary from Virginia, USA.

From 2016 to 2017, she Chaired the Council of the Scottish Academic Registrars and was the Chair of the Scottish Directors of Planning from 2017 to 2019. She is a member of the Universities Scotland Admissions Policy Group and was one of the small team supporting Scottish Government’s work on widening access through the Access Data Working Group. Ester also led the development of the University’s Strategy 2022-2027.

Ester holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Novi Sad, in the former Yugoslavia, and taught Computer Science and Mathematics prior to arriving in the UK.