New College Chairman appointed
Former MI5 head to become first woman Chairman of Imperial
Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, a former Director-General of the Security Service, or MI5, has been appointed as the new College Chairman. Her appointment follows the resignation of the previous Chairman, Lord Kerr, in January.
Baroness Manningham-Buller began her career as an English teacher at Queen’s Gate School in 1971 but then joined the Secret Service in 1974. She was Deputy Director General from 1997, before taking the top job from 2002–2007. During her time at MI5 she specialised in countering Irish terrorism and was credited with increasing the agency’s transparency when she became the Director-General; she began the practice of recruiting agents through newspaper adverts. She is the first woman Chairman of Imperial. She is also a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.
Her appointment is not entirely surprising, she has served as Deputy Chairman since 2009 and stood in for Lord Kerr during the postgraduate graduation ceremonies this month. Lord Kerr said: “We know Eliza, and Eliza knows us. We know what a huge success she will be.”
Baroness Manningham-Buller will take up the post on the 16th of July. She commented, “I have admired Imperial, but since becoming more closely involved with the College, I have been more impressed by its standards of excellence and the contributions it makes to the UK and worldwide. Imperial’s staff and students have a wonderful academic and cultural tradition and I look forward to contributing to the College’s growth and continued success”
