Patricia Hodgson

Dame Patricia Anne Hodgson, DBE (born 19 January 1947) is the Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge.^[1]

Biography

Following an early stint at the Conservative Party research department (1968–1970), Hodgson worked as a producer and journalist and was a founder-member of the distance learning team at the Open University. Between 1983 and 2000 she worked in a variety of positions at the BBC (see below). She served on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (1993–1999), and was a non-executive member of the London Arts Board and a Trustee of the Prince’s Youth Business Trust. She also served on the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute for Management Studies, Cambridge. She is a former Vice-President of the Royal Television Society and a former member of the Statistics Commission.

From September 2000 to the end of 2003, Hodgson was Chief Executive of the Independent Television Commission, a body which has since been subsumed by the media regulator Ofcom. From 2004–2008 she was a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. During the same period she was a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.

Dame Patricia holds an MA from Newnham College Cambridge, and honorary doctorates from City University, London^[2] and the University of Essex.^[3] She was an Associate Fellow of Newnham College between 1993 and 1996.

She is a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and a non-executive director of the Competition Commission. She has been Principal at Newnham, her alma mater, since August 2006.

BBC

Patricia Hodgson started her career at the BBC as Deputy Secretary, quickly moving to become the Secretary. She was subsequently Head of Policy (1987–1992) and then Director of Policy and Planning (1993–2000), a position on the main board. As Director of Policy and Planning she played a key role in many initiatives, including the original concept for BBC Prime and what was then BBC World, now BBC World News. Hodgson also led the BBC team which planned the launch of new digital and online services between 1997 and 2000.

In 2006 she returned to the BBC as a member of the new governing body, the BBC Trust, which took over from the Board of Governors on 1 January 2007.^[4] When Michael Grade abruptly stood down from the position of Chairman of the BBC Trust to become the Executive Chairman of rival broadcaster ITV plc, Hodgson was widely rumoured to be in line to succeed him. She ruled herself out of contention, saying that her role at Newnham prevented her from doing so.^[5] In 2010 she was appointed for a second term on the Trust.

After unsuccessfully standing for both Chairman and Vice Chairman, Hodgson stood down from the BBC Trust in June 2011 to take up a role on the board of media regulator Ofcom, where she will become Deputy Chairman.^[6]

Honours

Hodgson was made a CBE in 1995 and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004.

Personal life

Dame Patricia is married to George; a former teacher of mathematics.

External links

• Newnham College, University of Cambridge

References

1. ^ Newnham College, Cambridge College Officers and Staff
2. ^ City University Honorary Awards
3. ^ University of Essex
4. ^ BBC Press Release New BBC Trust to represent the public interest
5. ^ "Prudent Pat out of race for BBC top job"
6. ^ "Patricia Hodgson leaves BBC Trust for Ofcom"

Academic offices
Preceded by Onora O'Neill	Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge 2006–	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Hodgson, Patricia
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Date of birth	19 January 1947
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