MY PRIDE IN LEEDS

From a tearaway farmhand rugby groupie to a partner in a global professional services giant – Heather Swanston talks about the role Leeds played in her extraordinary life.

"Knuckling down at school was definitely not my thing,” says Heather Swanston (Agricultural Science, Animal 1988). It’s a surprising admission, considering her stellar career as one of the UK’s most prolific business recovery advisors.

During 35 years with multinational professional services company PwC she led teams restructuring vast businesses in the UK, Korea and Japan, eventually becoming one of the company’s handful of female partners.

Now retired from PwC, she acknowledges the part Leeds played as the foundation for this remarkable journey by serving on Council, our governing body, and by pledging a legacy to support our work in the future.

“I was bored at school,” says Heather. “I loved life and loved adventure and became a bit of a tearaway.”

Even so, she harboured hopes of becoming a doctor: “I grew up in Chester and volunteered at the Countess of Chester Hospital, working on psychiatric, geriatric and acute medical wards. I found it quite sad though; I remember talking to a young lad who had pleurisy. Next time I went, he wasn’t there. He’d gone home to die.”

She rebelled, choosing instead to work on a dairy farm in Gwynedd, North Wales. “It was hard graft, but I loved the farming life.” But family pressure continued to push her towards higher education: “No-one in my family had even done A-levels, so my parents and grandparents were keen for my brother and I to go to university.”

Though Heather missed the grades for medicine – and had come to believe that she was not cut out for it – she was “desperate to leave home”. A discussion with the Leeds admissions team found her an alternative course. “I told them about my work on the farm. My grades in maths, chemistry and biology were more than enough to study agriculture. Besides, I thought I might find a rich farmer to marry.”

Heather loved her time in Leeds. “It was amazing. I made so many friends I’m still in touch with, I did the Otley Run many times, saw bands like the Human League and became a bit of a rugby groupie.

“I worked with a professor at the University farm looking at what caused stress and anxiety in pigs. They’re very communicative animals and it really felt like I was part of something important to society, with a real purpose.”

Heather never met her rich farmer. Instead, she sought advice from the University careers service when planning her next move. “They ran a series of courses on various career paths, and one was in financial management. Something there clicked for me.”

At the time, the UK had eight big accountancy firms, and Heather received offers from most. At PwC she worked in audit, tax, corporate finance and recovery, working her way up through a series of roles at home and overseas. “In such a massive organisation there are always all sorts of opportunities. Early in my career, I worked on the big asset swap between Wimpey and Tarmac. At the time it was the UK market’s biggest ever transaction – and I was in the thick of it.

“My rebellious streak at school turned into ambition and desire. In 1997 I went to Korea for what was supposed to be a three-week project, but I stayed for almost two years working in all sorts of businesses during the Asian financial crisis.

As a working mum with a supportive husband, she also became a role model for others in the firm: “I’ve got lots of close friends who I helped to develop through the organisation, and who have become so successful in many ways - we’ve learned so much from each other.”

After a spell in Japan, Heather retired from PwC in 2023. She had already begun to re-engage with the University, not least when her son Harry chose to study here, graduating with a Masters in Physics with Astrophysics in 2022. “I loved Harry being here and watching him play rugby. I was really proud that he was following in my footsteps.”

It prompted Heather to think more about the role Leeds played in her own life.

“I went to Harvard University 15 years ago on a corporate programme and saw what alumni have enabled them to do there. People said how proud they were of their alma mater.

“Visiting Harvard made me think about what I could do for Leeds.”

She has already pledged a legacy to the University. “When I was younger with children and a mortgage it was difficult to give financial support. But I was writing my will recently and thought I could really help.

“Hopefully my legacy won’t be realised for many years, so I’ve left it up to the University how that money will be used. Who knows what will be needed at that time; I don’t want to tie them up in knots. Everyone I have met here cares massively about the University, so I trust them to do what’s best at the time.

“I was really pleased to be asked to join Council. It’s a very diverse group of people. It’s been fascinating looking at all sorts of aspects of University life, whether that’s learning about plans for the new poetry centre, or hearing how we protect campus IT systems from a cyber-attack. Hopefully I can impart some of my experience to them.

“I have a real interest in social mobility – that’s an area I’d like to support, and I am also getting involved in mentoring students.”

Heather’s adventurous streak remains. Since retiring from PwC, she’s travelled widely, to the US, Chile, Iceland, Turkey, Morocco and Greece. “But I just love coming back to campus; it’s always so energizing here.”

Find out more about the difference which legacies make to the University of Leeds