Fiona Reynolds

Dame Fiona Claire Reynolds (born 29 March 1958) is a British former civil servant and chair of the National Audit Office. She was previously Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and Director-General of the National Trust. She is the current Chair of the Governing Council at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester. Reynolds was born on 29 March 1958 in Alston, Cumbria, England. From 1969 to 1976, she was educated at Rugby High School for Girls, an all-girls grammar school in Rugby, Warwickshire. She studied geography and land economy at Newnham College, Cambridge. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1979; as per tradition, her BA was later promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. From 1980 to 1981, she undertook postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. She graduated with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in land economy; a Cambridge MPhil is equivalent to a taught Master of Arts degree from non-ancient universities. Reynolds held senior positions in the Council for National Parks and the Campaign for Rural England before joining the Cabinet Office as Director of the Women's Unit in 1998. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1998. She became Director General of the National Trust in 2001. During her tenure, membership of the charity, which looks after of land in the United Kingdom, grew from 2.7 to 4 million people. In February 2010 she was a guest on Private Passions, the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3. Her appearance on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on 18 February 2010 added momentum to the campaign to "save" Abbey Road studios. It was announced in March 2012 that Reynolds would be stepping down as Director-General of the National Trust to become the next Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in succession to Lord Wilson of Dinton. She was admitted to her new post in October 2012, although was granted a leave of absence until October 2013.