Stevie Wonder’s former manager Keith Harris has been elected the new rector of the University of Dundee.
Voting closed on Monday evening, with the music producer and songwriter winning a narrow victory by six votes.
Keith will represent the interests of Dundee students on the university court for a three-year term.
He was in the running alongside branch secretary of the Dundee Trades Union Council, Mike Arnott.
Keith received 101 votes, while Mike received 95. Voting was open for just under a week.
‘Life-changing impact’
The newly elected rector is also a former president of Dundee University Student Association.
In an interview with PRS For Music, Mr Harris said he booked bands to perform at Dundee University who went on to achieve global success, including Yes, Supertramp and Thin Lizzy.
Since graduating, he has embarked on a successful career in the music industry.
Keith, from Wigan, later became general manager of Motown Records and also the chairman of UK Music’s Diversity and Equality Taskforce.
While at Motown, he promoted world-renowned artists including Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and Smokey Robinson.
He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the music industry.
Newly elected rector Keith Harris said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been elected as rector of the University of Dundee.
“Both the university and the city have had a life-changing impact on me, and I want to use the position to make sure that all students are positively impacted by their time at the university.
“It will take a little time to settle into this new role, but I intend to give it the highest priority.”
‘Excellent representative’
Professor Iain Gillespie, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, welcomed the announcement on Tuesday afternoon.
He said: “I am delighted to welcome Keith back into the university community and I am sure he will be an excellent representative for all our students.”
The new rector will be installed at an official university ceremony in the coming months.
The outgoing rector at the University of Dundee is Courier columnist Jim Spence.
He announced his resignation earlier this year, saying that he could not support the students as much as was needed.
