Virginia Bottomley chairs the Odgers Berndtson Board & CEO Practice. The practice conducts searches for Chairmen, CEOs and non-executive directors for plcs and private companies.
Virginia has a wealth of experience from her responsibilities of over 30 years with a number of organisations in the commercial, voluntary and public sectors. Virginia is a member of the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel NV, an NED on BUPA and a Trustee of The Economist Newspaper.
As part of her pro-bono activities, Virginia is Chancellor of the University of Hull, Pro Chancellor of the University of Surrey and Governor of the London School of Economics. She is a member of the UK Advisory Council of the International Chamber of Commerce and of Cambridge University Judge Institute of Management Studies. She is President of Farnham Castle, the Centre for International Briefing and on the Council of The Ditchley Foundation.
Virginia was a member of the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005 serving successively as Secretary of State for Health and National Heritage (now Culture, Media and Sport). Virginia was appointed a Life Peer in 2005.
Following her first degree, Virginia gained an MSc in Social Administration from the London School of Economics.
