Three high-profile women shared a glimpse of their lives running Cambridge Colleges at a sold-out Alumni Festival weekend event at Newnham College.
Professor Dame Carol Black, Principal of Newnham, was joined on stage by Dame Barbara Stocking, President of Murray Edwards College, and Jackie Ashley, President of Lucy Cavendish College, at a hugely popular panel discussion titled Older and Wiser: How women over 50 are making their mark.
Expertly chaired by celebrated journalist Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director of the Sunday Times and Editor of the Sunday Times Magazine, the Heads of House shared personal anecdotes from their careers and personal lives with the 120-strong audience.
They were also joined by three distinguished alumnae; Dorothy Henderson, from Newnham, Hilary Shepherd from Murray Edwards, and Suzanne McCarthy from Lucy Cavendish who shared snippets of their life stories.
Dame Carol discussed how she entered medicine later than many of her peers and how she worked her way up the ranks to become Medical Director and eventually President of the Royal College of Physicians.
She described the work she has done since her fifties as ‘probably the most rewarding’ and urged the audience to put themselves forward for opportunities. She said: “I got better at applying and giving it a go, even if I didn’t tick all of the boxes.”
Dame Barbara described her role as Chief Executive of Oxfam as her ‘dream job’ and she talked about leading major humanitarian responses to international crises. She said that their alumnae had said that ‘an unsupportive work environment is biggest barrier to progression of women in workplace’.
And Jackie Ashley, who has been a prominent political journalist and broadcaster for more than 30 years, talked about the impact caring for her husband, the broadcaster Andrew Marr, had on her career. Of being offered the role as President of Lucy Cavendish, she said: “Life throws opportunities at you and you have to seize them and make the most of them.”
The panel discussion formed the second in a new series of events being hosted by the three women’s colleges at Cambridge and followed on from the highly successful inaugural event held at Murray Edwards last year.
The ‘Older and Wiser’ topic was chosen to encourage women to take advantage of the next phase of their lives and to change direction if they want to.
A lively interactive section with the audience allowed alumnae in the audience to share their experiences, and there was an opportunity to meet all the speakers at an informal drinks reception in the gardens afterwards.
Dorothy Henderson (NC 1979) qualified as a lawyer, became a partner and after 22 years – and just before her 50th birthday – she decided to ‘retire’. In her post-50 period she has obtained an MA in Shakespeare and Contemporary Performance and she now sits as a part-time judge on employment tribunals in London.
Jackie Ashley, President of Lucy Cavendish College
Author Hilary Shepherd, Murray Edwards College, ran an organic farm until 2003 and now makes oak windows, staircases and kitchens. She lives on a remote Welsh hillside with her second husband but they also spend a lot of time in Spain – which is the setting for her next book.
Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director of the Sunday Times and Editor of the Sunday Times Magazine, chairing the discussion
Barbara Stocking, President of Murray Edwards College
Suzanne McCarthy, Lucy Cavendish College, is Chairman of Depaul UK, which helps young homeless people. She also worked at HM Treasury and the Home Office. Before entering the public sector she worked as a solicitor in private practice and was a lecturer in law.
Professor Dame Carol Black, Principal of Newnham College