Dame Patricia Hodgson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair ofOfcom | |
| In office 2014–2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dame Colette Bowe |
| Succeeded by | Terence, Baron Burns |
| Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge | |
| In office 2006–2012 | |
| Preceded by | Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve |
| Succeeded by | Dame Carol Black |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patricia Anne Hodgson (1947-01-19)19 January 1947 (age 78) Essex, England |
| Spouse | George Donaldson |
| Children | 1 son |
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge |
| Awards | _Ribbon.svg) DBE |
Dame Patricia Anne HodgsonDBE (born 19 January 1947) is a British broadcasting executive, competition regulator, andacademic administrator.
A former board member of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation and the UK AI Council,[citation needed] she served as Chair ofOfcom from 2014 to 2017.[1] A Trustee of the Policy Exchange and Chair of the School Teachers'Review Body,[2] from 2006 to 2012 she served asPrincipal ofNewnham College, Cambridge.
Born in 1947, she was educated atBrentwood High School for Girls, agrammar school inBrentwood, Essex, before going up toNewnham College, Cambridge, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, proceedingMaster of Arts (MA Cantab). She also studied at theRoyal Academy of Music, completing aLicentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) in drama in 1968.[3]
In 1979, Hodgson married George Donaldson. They have one son.[3]
Hodgson joined the BBC as a producer and founder-member of the distance learning team for theOpen University. Between 1970 and 2000 she worked in a variety of positions, moving from production onto the executive Board (see below). She served as a part-time Member of the Mergers and Monopolies Commission between 1993–99 and returned as a non-executive Member of theCompetition Commission (the successor body) between 2004 and 2011. From September 2000 to the end of 2003, Hodgson was Chief Executive of theIndependent Television Commission and led the organisation into the integrated telecoms regulator,Ofcom, where she was chairman from 2014 to 2017.[4]
Hodgson's non-executive roles include Director of GCapMedia plc (2004–06),[5] member of the BBC Trust (2006–2011),[6] Chair of the Higher Education Regulation Review Group (2004–06),[7] Member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (2005–2011), Member of TheWellcome Trust (2004–08), Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (2004–08) and of the Statistics Commission (2000–06).[8] Upon leaving Newnham in 2012, she became Chair of Ofcom and Chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body.[9]
From 1 April 2021, Dame Patricia will serve a three-year appointment to the UKRI Science and Technical Facilities Council joining the STFC Innovation Board.[10][11]
She has been a non-executive departmental director of theDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) since July 2023, a non-executive director of theCompetition and Markets Authority, for which she holds a board position, since February 2024,[8] and is a member of the Science and Technical Facilities Research Council (UKRI).[citation needed]
Hodgson's first job upon leavinguniversity was working as a desk officer for the Conservative Research Department. From 1974 to 1977 she served as a Conservativemember ofHaringey Borough Council. From 1975 to 1976 shechaired the right-wing think-tank theBow Group.
Hodgson worked in production between 1970 and 1983 on arts programmes for theOpen University, as a producer onTonight and briefly as a presenter on theToday programme. She became Deputy Secretary of the BBC in 1983, quickly moving to become Secretary. She was subsequently Head of Policy (1987–1992) and then Director of Policy (1993–2000) a main board position. As Director of Policy & Planning, Hodgson developed the original concept for the BBC's international commercial television channels, includingBBC World, nowBBC World News.[12]
Hodgson was responsible for Charter and Licence negotiations in 1995 and 2000 and also led the team which planned the launch of digital and online UK services between 1995 and 2000.[8] In 2006 she returned to the BBC as a member of the new governing body, theBBC Trust, which took over from the Board of Governors on 1 January 2007. In 2010 she was appointed to a second term on the Trust. After being runner-up for both Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Trust in 2011, Hodgson stood down to take up a role on the board of media regulatorOfcom, where she became chairman.[9]
Appointed aCBE in 1995, she was promotedDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004.Dame Patricia was elected an Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge in 2012, and holdshonorary doctorates from City University, London, and the University of Essex.[1]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge 2006–2012 | Succeeded by |