Today Downing College is delighted to welcome Gavin Flynn.
Gavin joins Downing for a one month handover period before he formally takes over the role of Senior Bursar on 1 October, on the retirement of Dr Susan Lintott who has held the role for over twenty years.
The Senior Bursar provides a key leadership role at Downing, overseeing the operations of the College, managing the College’s investments and developing financial policy, as well as contributing to decision making at senior level.
Gavin has a background in the travel and hospitality sector, and he brings to Downing significant finance and strategy experience. As a senior executive with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for more than fifteen years, Gavin was responsible for leading IHG through a major organisation, efficiency and cultural change programme. He has an impressive track record of leadership, management and consulting experience at Board level, backed up by strong analytical & communication skills.
Since leaving IHG in 2019, Gavin moved into the education sector, teaching at a University in Switzerland and is on the Board of a not-for-profit company in Stevenage providing services to schools in Hertfordshire, working closely with the County Council.
Gavin said of his new role as Senior Bursar, “I believe a great education can make the most difference in giving people choices in what they do with their lives, and I want to contribute to helping that happen.”
He adds, “When I saw the Senior Bursar job at Downing it was too interesting to ignore. The environment, the chance to make a difference to an already excellent educational establishment, and the friendly people I met made it a job I wanted to do.”
Gavin lives with his wife and daughter just outside Cambridge. He is a keen, yet distinctly average, triathlon competitor.
Published 1 September 2020.