With several long-serving members of Council retiring this year, Warden Tom Beardmore-Gray, reflects on their individual and collective contributions to the College’s successes of recent years.
Alastair Aird
Alastair Aird joined Council in 2018 and became Deputy Warden during Sophia Bergqvist’s time as Warden. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Al brought real strategic insight to Council. He always raised the level of conversations and debates around the Council table and challenged us all to be more ambitious for Bradfield.
Simon Clarkson Webb
Simon Clarkson Webb is an Old Bradfieldian who joined Council in 2016. Bradfield has benefitted hugely from his financial skills, gained through a very successful career in the City. Simon chaired the Finance and General Purposes Committee very competently and conscientiously for many years. In 2019 Simon was the principal protagonist of the College taking out a 30 year £30million bond at a low interest rate. This has proved to be ‘game changing’ for Bradfield. The funds immediately available have enabled a number of crucial projects, which might have otherwise been deferred for decades, including St Andrew’s Study Centre and Army House roof refurbishment. We are pleased that Simon will remain on the Council’s Investment Committee to provide ongoing advice.
Nicola Hodson
Nicola Hodson has given so generously to Bradfield of her time and expertise since joining Council in 2017 alongside a hugely demanding career. As a Council member with no connection to Bradfield she was able to provide genuine objectivity and quality to many of the conversations around the Council table and we are very grateful to her for that.
Ian Wood-Smith
Ian Wood-Smith joined Council in 2010 and counts three years as Deputy Warden among 15 years of dedicated service. Ian has brought a wide range of attributes to his role. As a distinguished solicitor and senior partner at Field, Seymour Parkes in Reading he has been able to offer an important legal perspective on a range of issues reaching the Council table. As an Old Bradfieldian he has enormous loyalty towards and interest in the College and he maintains strong relationships with a wide range of staff. As Deputy Warden he has been hugely supportive despite his wide ranging other commitments, giving a huge amount of his time and energy to Bradfield over a long and eventful era and we look forward to seeing him at events in the future as an OB.
