Professor Gummett is the Chief Executive at the Higher Education Council for Wales (HEFCW).  Professor Gummett joined HEFCW from Manchester University, where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor, former Head of the Department of Government and Professor of Government and Technology Policy.

He was a founder member and non-executive director of PREST (Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology) at Manchester – one of the leading science policy research centres globally, and is a former member, and Chair of the Board of Examiners, of the Training Board of the Economic and Social Research Council.