Jean Coussins

MA (Cantab), D Univ (Open), Hon FCIL (UCL) (NC 1970)

College roles

Honorary Fellow (2014)

Biography

Baroness Jean Coussins is a graduate of Newnham in MML (French and Spanish, NC 1970). After graduating she became Secretary to the United Nations Association Youth & Student Association (1973-75); was the Women’s Rights Officer of the National Council for Civil Liberties (1975-80), Deputy Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (1980-83), Senior Officer of the Inner London Education Authority (1983-88), Director of the Commission for Racial Equality (1988-96), Chief Executive of the Portman Group (1996-2006). Between 2002 and 2005 she was a member of the consultative council of the British Board of Film Classification; between 2003-09, a non-executive member of the Advertising Standards Authority; 2004-07, commissioner of the Better Regulation Commission. From 2006-19 she was an independent consultant on corporate social responsibility to a number of multinational companies. From 2012 -18, she was President of the Peru Support Group; from 2013 to present ,the President, now Ambassador, of the Money Advice Trust. Since 2010 she has been a vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, is Patron of the Association of Language Learners and co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages.