Lucian J. Hudson

Lucian J. Hudson

Director of Communications, The Open University

Lucian J. Hudson has been Director of Communications of The Open University since 2011, and recently been elected Chair of Earthwatch Europe. 

He has held top communications posts in four UK government departments, including Director of Communication, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Director of e-Communications, Cabinet Office - the first holder of this post.  A leading communications director under the Blair and Brown Governments, he conducted the review into No10 communications under the Coalition Government (report published in June 2013).

Lucian was a senior executive and television journalist with the BBC and ITV for 17 years.  As Head of Programming, International Channels, BBC Worldwide, he helped establish the first international television channels as a joint venture between BBC and Discovery.  As Strand Editor, BBC World, he led the transformation of breaking news and live events, which included producing the first six hours of television coverage on the death of Princess Diana.

Lucian was Partner and the first Managing Director of Cornerstone Global Associates, providing international strategic consultancy to governments, businesses, civil society organisations, universities and business schools.

Lucian has been Chairman of three non-profit organisations: Liberal Judaism, Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and Rory Peck Trust.  He is also Chair, Citizens:mk Leadership Group.

An accredited CEDR mediator, Lucian wrote the first international report on the scope and limits of cross-sector collaboration, "The Enabling State: Collaborating for Success" (FCO, 2009) .  His research into cross-sector collaboration is regularly published in academic journals and handbooks , including The Annual Review of Social Partnerships (ARSP), an open access annual journal on cross-sector social interactions.  He is active on social media networks, LinkedIn and Twitter @LucianHudson, and is listed in ‘Who’s Who’ (www.ukwhoswho.com).  He is Fellow of the RSA and Institute of Directors, and a member of the Political Studies Association.