Judith Mayhew Jonas
Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 18, 1948 New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Solicitor, academic, local government official |
| Known for | First female Provost of King's College, Cambridge; Chairperson of the Royal Opera House; City of London Corporation official |
| Notable work | Founder of Anglo-French Law Degree program with the Sorbonne |
Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, born on 18 October 1948 in New Zealand, is a British solicitor, academic, and local government official. She broke new ground as the first woman to occupy several prominent public positions in the UK, including a two-year tenure as Provost of King's College, Cambridge and as chairperson of the Royal Opera House.
Early life
Judith Mayhew was raised and educated in New Zealand as the daughter of Bill and Joyce Mayhew. Her schooling included Corstorphine Primary School in Dunedin and Otago Girls' High School. She completed an LLM degree at the University of Otago.
Career
Starting her academic career at Otago, she later relocated to the United Kingdom where she taught law at the University of Southampton followed by King's College London from 1976 to 1989. During her time there, she founded and led the Anglo-French Law Degree program with the Sorbonne, marking Europe's inaugural joint degree.
Transitioning into private legal practice in 1986, Mayhew Jonas specialised in employment law and ultimately served as special adviser to the chairman at the international law firm Clifford Chance. In 2006, she became a member of the board of directors at Merrill Lynch.
Her involvement in governance within the City of London began in 1986 when she was elected to the City of London Corporation. She chaired its Policy and Resources Committee between 1996 and 2003. From 2001 onward, she acted as City and Business Advisor to then-London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Mayhew Jonas has held significant leadership roles across education and cultural institutions. She chaired the board of governors at Birkbeck, University of London starting in 1999, served as Provost of King's College, Cambridge from 2003 to 2005—being the first woman appointed—and was also the inaugural female chair of the Royal Opera House.
Her trusteeships include positions at the Imperial War Museum and the Urban Land Institute. Additionally, she co-leads the British Dutch Dialogues (Apeldoorn Conference).
From 2008 through 2022, she fulfilled the role of Provost (Chancellor) at Bishop Grosseteste University located in Lincoln, England.
Mayhew Jonas features in Dreamcatchers, a documentary series that profiles accomplished New Zealand expatriates.
Honours and awards
In recognition of her achievements, Mayhew Jonas was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Otago in 1998. She was honoured as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) during the 2002 Birthday Honours for her contributions to the City of London.
She earned the title New Zealander of the Year in Britain in 2004 and received the Global Award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards in 2015.
Personal
In 2003, she married Christopher Jonas, a property consultant from England.
External links
- Cambridge University website
- Profile, chathamhouse.org
