Dame Fiona became Master of Emmanuel College in 2012. She came to the College from the National Trust, of which she was Director-General since 2001. Before her position with the Trust, she was Director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office and was previously Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (now Campaign to Protect Rural England) and Secretary to the Council for National Parks. She is a Non-Executive Director of the BBC and from December 2012 was the Senior Independent Director of the Executive Board. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Wessex Water.