Times Higher Education has announced the appointment of Chris Havergal as its new editor.

He succeeds John Gill, ɫ��ֱ��’s editor for the past 13 years, who has been appointed the company’s chief executive.

Havergal joined ɫ��ֱ�� in 2014 and for the past eight years has been news editor, playing an important role in the title’s transition from a UK-focused policy magazine to a global provider of higher education news and analysis attracting an online audience running into the tens of millions every year.

“It is a huge privilege to succeed John Gill as editor,” Havergal said. “In more than a decade at ɫ��ֱ�� I have developed enormous respect for our universities, for the people who work in them, and for the values that they represent.

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“At a time when these institutions, these individuals and these values face greater scrutiny – and are under greater attack – than ever before, independent, critical journalism which has firm roots within the sector has a crucial role to play: to celebrate higher education and to champion its interests but also to act as a critical friend and to shine a light on where it can improve.

“I am committed to upholding our reputation for editorial excellence and independence, which underpins everything else that ɫ��ֱ�� does in the higher education sector. Through our journalism we will seek to inform, challenge and entertain our wonderful readers, giving them the essential sector intelligence they need to thrive in higher education, wherever they are in the world.”

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Havergal is a graduate of the University of York, where he studied for a BA in history and an MA in medieval studies. He began his career in the regional press, serving as local government correspondent on the Cambridge News.

He becomes ɫ��ֱ��’s eighth editor, following Brian MacArthur (1971-76), Peter Scott (1976-92), Auriol Stevens (1992-2002), John O’Leary (2002-07), Gerard Kelly (2007-08), Ann Mroz (2008-12) and Gill (2012-25).