Dame Fiona Reynolds was appointed as chair of the NAO on 10 January 2021 following confirmation by Parliament and HM The Queen.
Dame Fiona has had a long career in the voluntary and public sectors, as director-general of the National Trust from 2001-2012. Before joining the National Trust, she was director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office from 1998-2000, director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (now Campaign to Protect Rural England) from 1987-98 and Secretary to the Council for National Parks (now Campaign to Protect National Parks) from 1980-87. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy.
Dame Fiona is the current Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in post since 2012, she will step down from this role in summer 2021. She also holds a number of non-executive roles, including Trustee of the Grosvenor Estate, a non-executive director of Wessex Water, chair of the Green Alliance, the International National Trusts Organization, the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England and Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden.
In May 2021 she was appointed vice-chair of the Royal Agricultural University.
Current role