Professor Maher completed both her BSc and MSc at Loughborough University. She studied Strategic Leadership at the University of Oxford and qualified as a teacher in Further Education with the University of Derby.
She spent 10 years practising as a Sports Psychologist, working with athletes across a range of sports from grassroots to Olympic standard. She has been a member of the FA Council since 2019 serving on the National Game Board and Chairing the Football Development Committee. Professor Maher also served as Chair of the English Colleges Football Association and a Director of Association of Colleges Sport.
After a 17 year career in Further Education, serving as a Principal and CEO for seven years at Boston College and Loughborough College respectively, she built on Loughborough’s sporting success securing a £12.5m world class sports hall and supporting 15 national sports governing body partnerships with over 2,000 elite athletes per year.
Professor Maher became Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sport) and Professor of Practice in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences in 2023.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sport) is responsible for providing strategic leadership to ensure Loughborough reaches the highest global levels in all its sports-related endeavours, creating new and international opportunities and partnership.
Professor Maher specialises in professional competence in sports psychology, she has published internationally and presented her research at conferences both in the UK and abroad.
Professionally, Professor Maher has been a regular contributor on educational topics to TES, FE Week, Chaired a forum on Implementing Technical and Vocational Education Reform, and her essay on Apprenticeships reform was part of a House of Commons debate.