Dame Judith Macgregor
Dame Judith Macgregor was British High Commissioner to South Africa from September 2013 until March 2017, when she retired from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) after 40 years in the Diplomatic Service.
After graduating from Oxford with a first-class degree in Modern History, and a year in Romania, Dame Judith entered the FCO in 1976 serving first in the former Yugoslavia, and later as First Secretary in Prague and Paris.
After accompanying her husband as Director General for Trade Promotion in Germany and Ambassador to Poland, she resumed her career as FCO Director for Security Policy in 2000, and then as Ambassador to Slovakia (2004-6). She became FCO Director for Migration in 2007 and Ambassador to Mexico in 2009. In 2013, she became British High Commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland and was awarded the DCMG in January 2016.
In 2017, Dame Judith was appointed to the Board of the British Tourist Authority, becoming Interim Chair in August 2022. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director of the UK/Mexican mining company, Fresnillo plc and Vice Chair of the Council of Southampton University. In 2018 she joined the Arts and Humanities Research Council, as well as becoming a trustee of the University of Cape Town Charitable Trust. In February 2020 she was appointed Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group to the Global Challenges Research Fund and in March 2020 she became a Trustee of the Caradon Lecture trust.
Beyond her Board activity, Dame Judith is a member of the Advisory Council for Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple. In 2018 she became a Deputy Lieutenant for Hampshire.
This interim appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office's Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. As interim Chair, Dame Judith will be remunerated at £40,000 per annum. The Government's Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Dame Judith has not declared any activity.
