St Catharine’s College and King’s College have appointed their new master and provost respectively, with Sir John Benger being elected as the new master of St Catharine’s College, and Gillian Tett taking up the position of provost at King’s College.

Tett will become the 45th provost at King’s College since its foundation in 1441 when she takes up the position in October.

Tett’s appointment means that over half of Cambridge’s serving heads of colleges will be women, as Tett will become the sixteenth female college leader.

Tett trained as an anthropologist and currently serves as America editor-at-large and chairman of the US editorial board at the Financial Times, having previously held the position of managing editor.

Tett has published many books including the New York Times bestseller ‘Fool’s Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophy’. Tett has also previously been named columnist and journalist of the year at the British Press Awards.

Tett joins a strong community of Cambridge college leaders trained in journalism, which also includes former head of BBC News Roger Mosey at Selwyn College and the former controller of the BBC World Service Mary Hockaday at Trinity Hall.

Tett, who previously studied for an undergraduate degree and PhD at Cambridge, said she is “thrilled to be returning to Cambridge in October and joining the vibrant and historic King’s community”.

Sir John Benger will become the 40th master of the St Catharine’s College when he becomes Master in October.

Benger has been the Clerk of the House of Commons for the last four years, acting as the chief constitutional adviser to the House. Last week, he told the Public Accounts Committee that continuing to delay decisions over upgrades to the Houses of Parliament could cause “irreversible damage”. This year, he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath for services to Parliament.

Benger read English at St Catharine’s in the 1970s, before completing a doctorate at Oxford and then joining the House of Commons Service in 1986.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, announced Benger’s departure on Wednesday (08/02) before Prime Minister’s Questions. He stated that Sir John has notified the King that he will be leaving the role in the autumn to facilitate the move.

The new role will involve Benger presiding over the college, and its “good government, administration and discipline.” The new master stated that as a “proud alumnus” of the college, he is “excited to return to St Catharine’s and delighted to have been chosen to serve such a special community”.

He will also be master of the college for its 550th anniversary, the celebration of which will take place on November 25th this year.