St Edmund’s College is delighted to welcome Dr Katherine Powlesland as Director of Programmes and Strategy, and Mr Kristian Cressy as Domestic Bursar.
Dr Powlesland joins the College from the University’s Change and Programme Management Office, where she played a key role in shaping a context-sensitive approach to delivery of the University’s major transformation programmes, from finance to University operations to the estate. Before this, Kath was Cambridge’s first Postgraduate Widening Participation Manager, establishing the function, developing its strategy, and introducing a range of innovations to improve inclusivity at postgraduate level, including Close The Gap, Cambridge’s four-year joint programme with Oxford to create a fairer admissions process.
Alongside her six years at the University, Kath brings two decades of private‑sector experience in evidence-led strategy development. In her transition to the Higher Education sector, she worked as a consultant for leading HE consultancy, SUMS.
Kath completed a PhD in Italian at Cambridge as a mature student, publishing a monograph on Dante, and is an Associate of Cambridge Digital Humanities.
Reflecting on her new role, Katherine says:
I’m really delighted to join St Edmund’s. This is a pivotal moment to explore what a forward-thinking, outward-looking Cambridge College can be – both in response to a rapidly changing world and within the evolving Cambridge ecosystem.
St Edmund’s is in an exciting phase. Its recent growth has not altered its longstanding reputation as a friendly and inclusive College, and its highly international community is pursuing some of the most innovative courses of study and research across the University. It also has its own research institute – a rare and wonderful asset for a College – in the Von Hügel Institute. This is a fantastic foundation to build on, and I’m very much looking forward to getting started.
Kris Cressy joins St Edmund’s College from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Medicine, where he serves as Business and Operations Manager. In this role, he works closely with academic and professional services colleagues to support planning, governance and operational delivery across a large and complex department.
Prior to joining higher education, Kris served for 24 years as an Officer in the Royal Air Force Regiment, including roles in training delivery, airborne operations, and overseas deployments, providing a strong foundation in leadership and operational management in complex environments.
Kris holds a BEng (Hons) and postgraduate qualifications in programme and project management and security and risk management, is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and has completed senior leadership development programmes at the University of Cambridge and Manchester Business School. Since moving into the University sector, he has focused on strengthening systems, improving coordination, and supporting teams to work effectively together.
Kris is very much looking forward to becoming part of the College community and contributing to its welcoming and collegiate atmosphere.
