Hilary Boulding

Dame Hilary Boulding, FLSW (born 25 January 1957) is a British academic administrator and former media professional.

Boulding was born on 25 January 1957.

She was educated at Heaton School, a state school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

She studied music at St Hilda's College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Having left university, Boulding joined BBC Scotland: she worked as a television director from 1981 to 1985, and a television producer from 1985 to 1992.

She moved to BBC Wales, where she was Head of Arts and Music from 1992 to 1997.

Then, from 1997 to 1999, she was Commissioning Editor, Music (Policy) at BBC Radio 3.

In 1999, Boulding left the BBC to join the Arts Council of England as Director of Music.

The organisation was renamed Arts Council England in 2002, when the regional arts boards were merged into it.

In July 2007, Boulding was appointed the Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD).

During her time in charge, she oversaw £22.5 million of development including the building of a 450-seat concert hall and a 160-seat theatre.

In 2015, Boulding married John Summers, the chief executive of the Halle Orchestra.

In September 2016, it was announced that Boulding had been elected as the next President of Trinity College, Oxford, in succession to Sir Ivor Roberts.

This made her the first woman in its 462-year history to head the college.

Since 2017, she has been the President of Trinity College, University of Oxford.

She formerly worked for the BBC and Arts Council England, and served as Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

She took up the appointment on 1 August 2017.

She will be stepping down as president in August 2025.

In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, Boulding was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) "for services to education and culture in Wales", and thereby granted the title dame.

In 2019, Boulding was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.