The Fellows of King’s College are pleased to announce the election of Dr Gillian Tett as the next Provost of King’s, to take office in October 2023. Gillian will become the 45th Provost since the College’s foundation in 1441 and will succeed Professor Michael Proctor, who will be retiring after ten hugely successful years as Head of House.
An anthropologist by training, Gillian is currently Chairman of the US Editorial Board and America Editor-at-Large at the Financial Times, having previously been Managing Editor. She is the author of, among other books, Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life and the New York Times bestseller Fool's Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe. Alongside her role as Provost, she will continue to write columns for the FT.
Gillian has received several awards in recognition of her work, including Columnist of the Year (2014), Journalist of the Year (2009) and Financial Journalist of the Year (2008) at the British Press Awards; the British Academy President’s Medal (2011); and the American Anthropological Association President’s Medal (2022). She has an undergraduate degree and PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, based on research conducted in the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
On hearing of her appointment, Gillian said:
I am thrilled to be returning to Cambridge in October, and joining the vibrant and historic King’s community to promote and support the wealth of intellectual capital found there. Michael has done, and is doing, a wonderful job as Provost, and I look forward to building on his legacy.
Provost of King’s, Professor Michael Proctor, commented:
It has been an outstanding privilege to serve as Provost of this vibrant and forward-looking institution, and I warmly congratulate Gillian on her election to this challenging and fulfilling role. I wish her every success in leading the College in the years to come.
Professor Nicolette Zeeman, on behalf of the Provost Election Committee, added:
We are delighted that Gillian will be joining King’s as the next Provost of our diverse and mutually supportive community. We look forward to seeing how her wide-ranging experience, passion for education and commitment to equality are brought to bear in helping shape the next phase in the College’s history.
