Ann Tate is Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton.

She was born and educated in Lancashire and took undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Sociology from the University of London. Following higher education Ann took up a lecturing post in a new Further Education College in Belfast in 1972 and from there progressed to lecturing in higher education at the Ulster Polytechnic and the University of Ulster. She rose to the position of Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Ulster.

Apart from her significant experience in lecturing and management in higher education, Ann has had wide experience of economic development and regeneration programmes in Northern Ireland and has first hand knowledge of the potential impact of higher education on social and economic regeneration and development. She is a strong advocate of inclusion and access in higher education as a key factor in enabling all members of the community to benefit from the opportunities presented by economic development.

Ann has served on many varied Boards and Committees including the British Council in Northern Ireland, The Mental Health Review Tribunal, the Irish Sports Council, the Belfast Vision team and The Training and Employment Agency for Northern Ireland. In 2003 she was appointed to the Learning and Skills Council for Northamptonshire and in 2004 she was appointed to the Board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England. She is a member of the Board of Governors of Northampton High School.

She is a graduate of the Cabinet Office Top Management programme.