New Director of Development appointed at King's
King's College will welcome Polly Mason as its new Development Director on 1 September 2026. She succeeds Lorraine Headen who will retire after 10 years in the role, having led the College's £100 million Campaign for King's from 2018 to 2025.
A Cambridge native, Polly joins King's from the Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR), an independent think tank working to transform global resilience to extreme risks, including those from artificial intelligence and biological threats. As their Director of Strategic Partnerships she built CLTR’s development programme which has enabled the organisation to rapidly scale its policy and advocacy work and launch new functions.
Polly brings fifteen years' experience in philanthropy, having previously held leadership positions in international development as Head of Principal Gifts at UNICEF UK and Director of Private Philanthropy at UK for UNHCR. Her work has spanned multi-stakeholder programmes across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, including scoping innovative financing mechanisms, contributing to global and national campaigns and developing a sector-leading percentage-giving model that has funded health and education programmes across 14 countries.
"We're delighted to welcome Polly to King's and are incredibly impressed with the experience she brings to the role," commented Provost Gillian Tett. "Following the sucessful Campaign for King's, we have strong foundations on which to build for the future"
Polly holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology from Pembroke College, Oxford, alongside a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Performance from Kent University and the Central School of Ballet.
"I am honoured to be joining King's at such a pivotal moment in its history. Lorraine's dedication and leadership over the past decade has positioned the College on truly strong foundations and I would like to thank her warmly. King's is an iconic symbol of Cambridge, known the world over for its extraordinary Chapel, Choir and research. It is a dynamic College where tradition meets real innovation, and where students can study alongside some of the finest thinkers of our time. I look forward to working closely with the King's community to shape a new strategic vision that takes a six-centuries' old institution forward into its next chapter."