Leo Lester, Ph.D.

Education

Ph.D., University of Reading

B.A. (Hons), University of Oxford

About Leo

Dr. Leo Lester serves as Senior Vice President for NHU-Riyadh for the University of New Haven, leading all strategic, operational and academic aspects of the Riyadh campus. Based in Riyadh for much of the past 13 years, he is a specialist in building new institutional capabilities from the ground up, delivering transformative change in complex, multicultural environments across higher education, government and the private sector.

Dr. Lester maintains extensive relationships across Saudi government ministries and national institutions, including the ministries of education, investment, communication and IT, and sport. He led the work to establish the campus, which resulted in the first ever granting of consent to establish an international branch campus in Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom’s first U.S. university branch campus. His earlier leadership of landmark programs at KAPSARC and the King Fahd Security College built deep networks across the Kingdom’s government and institutional landscape.

Dr. Lester joined the faculty of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven in 2017, supporting educational advisory work between the University of New Haven and overseas partners. He was named SVP of the Riyadh Campus in 2026.

From 2013 to 2016, Dr. Lester was a research fellow at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he led multidisciplinary research teams looking at energy governance in northeast Asia and energy relations between the Middle and Far East. Dr. Lester has also supported various academic outreach programs, mentoring students and acting as a bridge between academia and the private sector.

Outside academia and research, Dr. Lester has held senior roles in the energy sector, including Director of Operations and Finance, and Director of Strategy; he has also worked in portfolio development for an international oil and gas company. Beyond the Middle East, he has lived in Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the UK.

He has a doctorate in theoretical evolutionary biology from the University of Reading (2006) and a B.A. (Hons) in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford (2003). He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a certified Financial Risk Manager and holds a qualification in project management. He has published two books, written over two dozen articles, and given keynote speeches on a range of topics across Asia.

Academic Positions

• Associate Professor (2017 - Present) – Department of National Security, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT
• Research Fellow (2013 - 2016) – King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia