Eliza Manningham-Buller appointed Chairman of Imperial College London

Baroness Manningham-Buller will succeed Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Chairman since 2005 - News release

Imperial College London News Release

For immediate release
Wednesday 18 May 2011

Baroness Manningham-Buller will be the new Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College London, it is announced today. She succeeds Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Chairman since 2005.

As Imperial’s 11th Chairman Baroness Manningham-Buller will lead its Council, the College’s governing body. She is the first woman to hold the post.

Baroness Manningham-Buller served as Director-General of the Security Service between 2002 and 2007, and was Deputy Director-General for the five previous years. She worked for the Service from 1974 until her retirement but began her career as an English teacher at Queen's Gate School in 1971. She was made a Life Peer in 2008, sitting on the cross benches in the House of Lords, and is currently chairman of the Sub Committee on Lords' Conduct. She is a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.

Baroness Manningham-Buller joined Imperial’s Council in 2009 and became the Deputy Chairman later that year.

A video of Baroness Manningham-Buller standing in for current Chairman Lord Kerr at the 2011 Postgraduate Awards ceremonies is below

Lord Kerr said:

1537 postgraduateawards

“It has been an honour to work for Imperial, and I leave with very warm memories of my time here. Imperial people - students, staff and alumni - are inspiring and I am grateful to all those who have served on Council during my time, and have helped to make Imperial the force it is today.

“We know Eliza, and Eliza knows us. We know what a huge success she will be. Imperial, one of the greatest universities in the world, will remain so on her watch.”

The Rector of Imperial College London, Sir Keith O’Nions said:

“John Kerr has given outstanding service to the College for more than six years, steering, scrutinizing and supporting our work. He led the Council through a period of considerable change for the College, not least of which was the granting of the new Supplemental Charter in our centenary year, 2007, that established Imperial as an independent university. He deserves our heart-felt thanks for all that he has achieved.”

“Eliza’s contributions to our nation have been profound and her appointment as our next Chairman is an honour for the College. Her outstanding leadership skills will be an invaluable asset to Imperial.”

Baroness Manningham-Buller said:

“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.”

Baroness Manningham-Buller will become Chairman on 16 July 2011, and is appointed for an initial four year term that may be followed by a second four year term.

The College also announces the appointment of two new external Council members. Mr Iain Conn, Chief Executive, Refining and Marketing at BP and an Imperial alumnus in Chemical Engineering and Management (1985) joined the Council on 13 May 2011; Mr Philip Dilley, Chairman of Arup Group and an Imperial alumnus in Civil Engineering (1976) will join the Council with immediate effect. A full list of Council Members is in Notes to Editors.

Welcoming the new members of Council, Lord Kerr said:

“Imperial alumni are some of the most highly sought after graduates of any university, and we are very fortunate to be able to welcome two of our outstanding alumni on to the Council. Iain Conn and Philip Dilley bring a wealth of insight and understanding of the industries they lead and the College where they graduated, and they share a passion to see Imperial flourish long into the future.”

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For further information please contact:

J-P Jones
Press and Communications Officer
Imperial College London
Email: john-paul.jones@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)20 7594 6704
Out of hours duty press officer: +44(0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

About Eliza Manningham-Buller

Eliza Manningham-Buller, who read English at Oxford, joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1974. She was promoted to its Management Board in 1993 and has, at various times, led the Service’s work on technical intelligence collection surveillance, finance, IT and Irish terrorism. She became Deputy Director General in 1997, in charge of the Service’s operations, before being appointed Director General in 2002. She retired in 2007.

Baroness Manningham-Buller, 62, was awarded the DCB in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2005 and became a Life Peer in 2008, sitting on the cross benches in the House of Lords. She is currently chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Lords' Conduct. She is also a Trustee of the Wellcome Trust.

The Council of Imperial College London - current membership

Deputy Chairman: Baroness Manningham-Buller

Co-opted External Members:
Mr I. Conn
Mrs P. Couttie
Mr P. Dilley
Ms R. Lomax
Mr J.H.M. Newsum
Mr S. Newton
Ms K. Owen
The Lord Tugendhat

Ex-Officio:
Rector: Sir Keith O’Nions
Deputy Rector: Professor S. Richardson

Senior Staff Representatives:
Professor D.K.H. Begg
Professor M. Dallman
Professor J. Magee
Professor Sir A. Newman-Taylor

Elected Staff Member:
Professor J. Kramer

President, Imperial College Union:
Mr A. Kendall

Clerk to the Court and Council:
Dr R.F. Eastwood

About the Council of Imperial College London

The Council is the governing body of the College, and is responsible for the finance, property, investments and general business of the College, and for setting the gene ral strategic dir ection of the institution.

There are up to 23 members of the Council, the majority of whom are lay members, including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman . Also included in its membership are representatives of the staff of the College and of the student body. It is responsible for the appointment of the Rector. None of the lay members receive any payment, apart from the reimbursement of expenses, for the work they do for the College.

Council: //www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/governance/committees/council
Chairmen: //www3.imperial.ac.uk/aboutimperial/imperial_people/chairmen

About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of e nergy and address security challenges.

In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of p atients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk