Jo Grady

Grady was born in Wakefield in 1984, while her father was part of the UK miners' strike. She studied at Wakefield College, then became the first member of her family to attend university, studying industrial relations at Lancaster University. In 2009, she began working as a lecturer at the University of Leicester.[1][2]

Grady joined the University and College Union (UCU) in 2006, and became joint secretary of its University of Leicester branch in 2016. She then moved to work at the University of Sheffield, and became active in the UCU branch there, as its pensions officer. In 2018, she was elected to the union's national dispute committee for the Universities Superannuation Scheme, and she enthusiastically supported the union's strike that year over cuts to the scheme. In 2019 she was elected to the union's National Executive Committee.[1][3]

The General Secretary of UCU, Sally Hunt, stood down in February 2019, and Grady ran in the resulting election. Her campaign was noted for its strong online presence, and prominent badges and posters. She defeated Jo McNeill and Matt Waddup, taking 64% of the vote in the final round of voting.[1][2][3]