Master, St Edmund's College, Cambridge

Catherine Arnold OBE is the Master of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge.

Catherine Arnold served in various roles at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, including as Ambassador to Mongolia. Her tenure saw a focus on strengthening ties between Mongolia and the UK across various sectors. Arnold’s diplomatic career also took her to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Oman, where she worked on a range of issues such as human rights, counterterrorism, and trade. Notably, she led the successful UK campaign to host the COP26 climate conference in 2020. Before her diplomatic service, Arnold worked as a journalist and travel writer in the Middle East and began her career with a global management consulting firm. She completed her undergraduate and MPhil studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, where she held several prestigious scholarships. Arnold also holds an MA in Religious Conflict from the University of Nottingham and has completed the Higher Command & Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy.