Are university leaders always the same? A longitudinal analysis of Vice-chancellors’ profile in English universities over the last twenty years

While the effects of new managerialism and internationalization higher education on university structures functions have been widely examined, their impact leadership has less investigated, although both phenomena suggest need for different more powerful leaders. This article aims to examine if core features leaders’ profiles affected by two aforementioned phenomena, whether differences can be identified according types universities. To answer these questions, this develops six hypotheses tests them using a unique dataset several dimensions 324 Vice-chancellors from 98 English universities covering period than 20 years (2000–2020). The analysis highlights that nature as professional organizations profoundly affects characteristics profiles. are predominantly academics who held academic positions whose appointment is also shaped rule representativeness. Statistically significant among instead in terms research profile recruitment patterns. Finally, shows even decades after emergence increasing HE, leaders still resembles last century with just minor changes retrieved only certain types.