Mr Christopher Lawrence

MA (Cantab), MSc (Durham), ARCM

Bursar

College Roles

• Bursar
• Secretary of the College Council

Contact

Telephone: 01223 335750

Email: bursar@newn.cam.ac.uk

Biography

Christopher Lawrence was appointed as Bursar of Newnham College in April 2019 after 12 years as Bursar of Wolfson College, Cambridge. Before becoming a Bursar he worked in orchestral management with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Academy of Ancient Music, having previously worked in corporate strategy for the Prudential Corporation. He holds degrees from the Universities of Cambridge (Classics, Queens’ College) and Durham (Management Studies, Durham University Business School).

As Bursar of Newnham, Christopher is responsible for the College’s non-academic staff, the finances, and the estate; and his direct reports include the Domestic Bursar, College Accountant, IT Manager, HR Manager and Information & Support Manager. He is on a number of College committees and is Secretary of the College Council. In the wider University, he is a member of the Bursars’ Committee and several University and intercollegiate committees.

A keen musician, Christopher attended the Royal College of Music Junior Department, where he attained the ARCM diploma in tuba performance, and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Within the University, he manages the brass strand of the Instrumental Awards Scheme for Chamber Music (coaching the CU Brass Ensemble); and auditions the low brass for the Cambridge University Orchestra each year.

Newnham College first used the term ‘Bursar’ in 1920, the office being known as ‘Treasurer’ before that. Here is a list of the office-holders by year of appointment:

1878       Eleanor Sidgwick (Treasurer)
1920       Lilian Lacy
1934       Margaret Kennedy
1940       Barbara White
1958       Margaret Grimshaw
1968       Dorothy Hahn
1986       Christopher Taylor
1989       Basil Shone (Acting)
1990       Jeremy Rogers
1991       Christopher Johnson (Acting)
1992       Michael Payne
2001       Christopher Johnson (Acting)
2002       Ian Du Quesnay
2014       Jenny Raine
2018       Donald Hearn (Interim)
2019       Christopher Lawrence