Frances Saunders | |
---|---|
Born | 28 June 1954 |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Frances Carolyn Saunders |
Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
Known for | Chief Executive of Dstl President of Institute of Physics |
Board member of | Engineering Development Trust - Trustee Cranfield University - Council Member |
Dame Frances Carolyn Saunders DBE CB FREng HonFInstP (born 28 June 1954) is a British scientist and former civil servant. She was the chief executive of Dstl between August 2007 and March 2012. [1] [2] Prior to this Saunders was a policy officer at the Office of Science and Technology and research scientist into liquid crystal devices at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment. Saunders was the president of the Institute of Physics from 2013 to 2015. [3]
Saunders attended the girls-only Portsmouth High School, before attending the University of Nottingham to study physics. She became Leyland's first female graduate engineer, on an electronic engineering apprenticeship, eventually leaving due to frustration that the electronic systems she worked on were not used on mass-production scales. This was when she joined the RSRE and started a part-time PhD in liquid crystal devices. [4]
After retiring from Dstl in 2012, Saunders took on a number of activities promoting science, engineering and leadership, especially for young people. She was appointed as a member of the UK Space Agency Steering Board in 2015, was president of the IOP from 2013 to 2015, and is a trustee of the Engineering Development Trust. She was elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011, and was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath the same year. [3]
In 2018, Saunders was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for "services to Science and Engineering", announced as part of the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List. [5]
Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge is a British engineer and crossbench member of the House of Lords, present Chair of the Carbon Trust and the Henry Royce Institute, and was the Vice-Chancellor of Aston University from 2006 to 2016.
Dame Julia Stretton Higgins is a British polymer scientist. Since 1976 she has been based at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, where she is emeritus professor and Senior Research Investigator.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK". The agency is headed by Paul Hollinshead as its Chief Executive, with the board being chaired by Adrian Belton. Ministerial responsibility lies with the Minister for Defence Procurement.
Cyril Hilsum is a British physicist and academic.
Dame Clara Hedwig Frances Furse DBE was the Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange between January 2001 and May 2009, and was the first woman to occupy the position. In 2005, she was ranked 19th in Fortune magazine's most powerful women in business list. In 2007, Furse was listed among Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
Dame Lynne Janie Brindley,, HonFBA is the former Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, a post she held until June 2020. Prior to this appointment she was a professional librarian, and served as the first female chief executive of the British Library, the United Kingdom's national library, from July 2000 to July 2012. She is also a member of the Ofcom board.
Dame Carolyn Julia McCall is a British businesswoman of Scottish and Irish descent. She has been the chief executive of ITV since 2018. She previously served as the chief executive of easyJet from 2010 to 2017.
Dame Lynn Faith Gladden is the Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She served as Pro-vice-chancellor for research from 2010 to 2016.
Dame Athene Margaret Donald is a British physicist. She is Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge, and Master of Churchill College, Cambridge.
Dame Angela Ruth McLean is professor of mathematical biology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence.
Dame Susan Lesley Hill has been the Chief Scientific Officer for England since October 2002.
Dame Lesley Anne Glover is a Scottish biologist and academic. She was Professor of molecular biology and cell biology at the University of Aberdeen before being named Vice Principal for External Affairs and Dean for Europe. She served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission from 2012 to 2014. In 2018 she joined the Principal's senior advisory team at the University of Strathclyde.
Dame Julia Mary Slingo is a British meteorologist and climate scientist. She was Chief Scientist at the Met Office from 2009 until 2016. She is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, where she held, prior to appointment to the Met Office, the positions of Director of Climate Research in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) National Centre for Atmospheric Science and founding Director of the Walker Institute for Climate System Research.
Dame Muffy Calder is a Canadian-born British computer scientist, Vice-Principal and Head of College of Science and Engineering, and Professor of Formal Methods at the University of Glasgow. From 2012 to 2015 she was Chief Scientific Advisor to the Scottish Government.
Helen Frances Gleeson OBE FInstP is a British physicist who specialises in soft matter and liquid crystals. She is Cavendish Professor and former Head of the School of Physics at the University of Leeds.
Dame Madeleine Julia Atkins, is a British academic administrator, scholar of education, and former teacher. Since 2018, she has served as the 9th President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. She was formerly vice-chancellor of Coventry University, and the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (2014–2018).
Dame Anne Helen Richards is the chief executive officer of Fidelity International.
Dame Angela Rosemary Emily Strank is head of downstream technology and chief scientist of BP, responsible for technology across all the refining, petrochemicals, lubricants and fuels businesses.
Dame Stella Gordon Manzie is a British public servant.
Dame Janet Mary Vitmayer is a British museum director.