Mr Johnson is well placed to serve as Chancellor after his commitment to education, the country and the region has seen him hold posts that have included Minister of State for Universities from 2003 to 2004 and Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2006 to 2007.
Mr Johnson also held significant roles as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2004 to 2005, and as President of the Board of Trade from 2005 to 2006. He was Secretary of State for Health from 2007 to 2009, Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010, and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2011.
Since 2017, he has been the independent Chair of Citycare, a public-private partnership between the NHS and Sewell Group which built and maintains the 15 Health Centres in Hull.
He has also authored three prize winning memoirs and two successful thrillers with a third due to be published next March.
Mr Johnson said: “The University of Hull has made a huge contribution to British society over its long history and is central to the Humber region’s role at the heart of the renewables revolution today.
"I am honoured to become Chancellor and relish the prospect of helping the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dave Petley, and his team, to make Hull the destination of choice for students across the country and throughout the world.
“Looking to the future, I shall be delighted to be a part of the University's mission to advance education, scholarship, knowledge and understanding through its teaching and its research and I am inspired to act as both an advocate and supporter of the University's vision to shape a fairer, brighter and carbon neutral future as it tackles climate change and social justice inequalities – regionally and globally.”
Mr Johnson will be installed as Chancellor on July 1.
His first engagement as Chancellor will be to confer degrees at the University’s summer graduation ceremonies from 17 to 20 July.