Catherine Quinn

BA (Hons) MA, MBA

Non-Executive Director

Catherine Quinn’s career over the last twenty years has crossed sectors, from research, science and innovation; to higher education and professional training; to national institutions.

Before her last full-time appointment as Private Secretary in The Royal Household in 2017, Catherine Quinn spent four years as Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. During the two decades prior, she served as Chief Executive of The Middle Temple; led the grant-giving operations of The Wellcome Trust; and directed Oxford University’s institution-wide research services.

Catherine’s experience working on boards began in the public and charitable sectors, with organisations such as The Charity Commission and the UK’s Met Office. She enjoyed non-executive/trustee work so much that this persuaded her in 2020 to switch from a full-time to a non-executive career. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of two science, research and innovation companies (National Physical Laboratory and CPI), as well as the UK’s Copyright Licensing Agency. She is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford.

A huge fan of dance, Catherine’s previous trustee roles include six years on the board of The London Contemporary Dance Trust (The Place). She joined the RAD’s Finance, audit & risk subcommittee in 2022.