Jesus College Oxford appoints UK ambassador Lindsay Skoll as first woman Principal in 454-year history
Currently serving as Ambassador to Austria and UN Representative in Vienna, Skoll will become the first woman elected to lead the Oxford college since its founding in 1571.
Photo credit: University of Oxford
Jesus College, part of the University of Oxford, has appointed Lindsay Skoll, CMG as its next Principal. She will be the first woman to hold the role since the college’s founding 454 years ago.
The formal election is scheduled for October 15, 2025, and Skoll will take office on August 1, 2026, following the retirement of Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt.
Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571, Jesus College is the only Elizabethan college at Oxford. It has more than 700 undergraduate and graduate students and over 100 Fellows. Its academic community includes researchers working across the humanities, sciences, and emerging interdisciplinary fields such as AI, ethics, and environmental change.
Career in diplomacy and international public service
Skoll is currently British Ambassador to Austria and the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna. She joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1996 and has held senior positions in Moscow, Seychelles, and North Korea. Her career has also included policy roles focused on climate change and global health emergencies.
She was Head of Climate in the UK government’s Climate Change and Energy Department between 2010 and 2012, and in 2016 led the international response to the Zika virus epidemic. She was appointed Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George in the 2019 New Year Honours for her work in foreign policy.
College context and transition timeline
Jesus College has stated that the formal election will take place in the college chapel in autumn 2025. The role of Principal includes representing the college externally, supporting academic work, and overseeing day-to-day leadership in collaboration with Fellows and staff. The appointment will follow a transition period leading up to Sir Nigel Shadbolt’s retirement.
In a statement, the college says, “Lindsay brings a distinguished record of public service and a deep commitment to leadership, education and global understanding to this new role.”
