Sir David Melville has extensive experience of national higher and further education policy. 

He is a currently Chair of the Kent Surrey and Sussex NHS Postgraduate Deanery, Patron of the 157 Group and a member of the boards of London South Bank University and Manchester Metropolitan University.

He is former Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent and the University of Middlesex, former Chief Executive of the Further Education Funding Agency, and former Chair of the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the University Vocational Awards Council, Lifelong Learning UK, and the Kent and Medway Learning and Skills Council.

He was a member of the Tomlinson Review of 14-19 Curriculum and Qualifications, the Foundation Degree Task Force, the Foster Review of the Future of Further Education Colleges and chaired the UK Universities Race Equality Consultation Project. He is a former Vice-Chair of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (now Universities UK) and Chair of its Longer Term Strategy Committee.

He was awarded a CBE in 2001 and a KBE in 2007 for services to further and higher education.

Sir David was educated at Sheffield and Columbia Universities. He began his career as a lecturer in physics at Southampton University, and became Professor of Physics and Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy and subsequently Assistant Director and Vice-Rector of Lancashire Polytechnic.