Tasked with creating a UCL London Office from scratch, Amy Lightstone has helped to establish UCL as a strategic London partner, playing a vital role in shaping local impact.
When Amy Lightstone joined UCL in 2020, the London Office did not exist. Given a blank sheet of paper, she was tasked with establishing a new function alongside Professor Alan Thompson, Pro Provost (London), that focused on strengthening UCL’s relationships across the capital.
Six years on, she is leading a five-person team and has developed 12 strategic partnerships that ensure UCL expertise, research and innovation are addressing local challenges in London.
Amy began her career in healthcare policy. With a background in nutrition and public health, she worked on healthcare regulation before joining London Higher, the membership organisation for London’s universities. She spent eight years there, building connections across the higher education sector, leading strategy and deepening her understanding of the capital’s diverse needs and communities.
Working opposite UCL, at BMA House on Tavistock Square, she often found herself imagining what it would be like to work there. When the opportunity arose to create the London Office, it felt like the perfect fit.
Starting just three weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic was a jump in the deep end, but she quickly became a key external representative for UCL, strengthening relationships with local authorities, regional organisations and senior leaders across London.
Working at UCL has strengthened my leadership skills and confidence. You have to be able to talk to everyone and anyone at the same level and bring them along with you.
Today, Amy is particularly proud of the trusted connections she has built, enabling UCL to extend its influence and impact throughout the city and have a stronger voice in discussions about the future.
From UCL’s Bloomsbury to East campuses, Amy believes the university’s strength lies not only in its research and teaching, but in its connection to the city itself – its communities, culture, knowledge, innovation and opportunities.
Her proudest achievement is the team she has built. Together, they have helped to ensure that, as UCL enters its third century, it remains connected to its progressive founding values, in the heart of the very city it was created in 200 years ago.
We learn something new every single day here. There's always a new piece of research, a new idea or a new partnership that changes how you think about the world. I love being a part of it.
