Lucian J. Hudson

Chair

Lucian J. Hudson (Chair, elected 2016) is an experienced board chair, corporate leader and strategic communications specialist. 

As Chair, at Earthwatch Europe, he is overseeing major new investment, and building corporate partnerships, harnessing science and citizen engagement to save our natural world.

A trusted advisor to senior leaders, he guides them in managing brand and reputation, and helps them to manage relationships critical to achieving success. He has supported cabinet ministers, board chairs, vice-chancellors and chief executives. 

As communications chief in seven large organisations since 2000, Lucian has been at the heart of international and national decision-making, business transformation and crisis management.

As the UK Government’s chief spokesman at summits and ministerial meetings on climate change and sustainable development, he briefed media and forged common purpose with governments, business and civic society.

At the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office and more recently, University of Oxford and The Open University, he led strategic change, built teams and engaged multiple stakeholders and the public on the big issues of the day. He is Director of Advancement, Marketing and Communications at Durham University, and its Professor-in-Practice (Leadership and Organisations).

As a senior BBC television executive, he was a pioneer in producing authoritative breaking news and establishing commercial joint venture channels with international broadcasters. He founded the UK Government’s first digital portal, and revolutionised the Foreign Office’s use of social media. At the OU, he masterminded the PR launch of FutureLearn, the digital education platform serving millions of learners globally.

As a consultant, his past clients include NHS, Lloyds Bank, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Lancashire Constabulary, Oxfam, Royal Academy of Engineering and ProActive ReSolutions.

In 2009, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office published Lucian’s comprehensive report on the scope and limits of cross-sector collaboration between government, business and civil society: 

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/enabling-state-collaborating-for-success