News / Merchant Venturers
First woman appointed to lead Merchant Venturers in its 468-year history
For the first time in almost half a millennium, the Society of Merchant Venturers has appointed a woman to lead the once-secretive organisation.
The invite-only society has named Gillian Camm as master in the same year that it also welcomed the first black member, lawyer Marti Burgess, in its 468-year history.
In 2015, Caroline Duckworth made history by becoming the Merchant Venturers’ first female treasurer. As master, Camm will now lead the organisation in the year ahead.
With the statue of one of their most infamous former members, Edward Colston, being toppled and thrown into the docks earlier this year, the past few months have been eventful for the organisation.
Camm inherits the role only days after one of the schools which they govern, Colston’s Girls’, revealed that it will change its name to Montpelier High School.
And there continues to be calls for the Society of Merchant Venturers to be completely disbanded due to its influence across the city.
It was only four years ago that the organisation kept Colston’s nails and hair on display in their headquarters, Merchants’ Hall in Clifton – photo: Society of Merchant Venturers
Until 2019, Camm was chair of governors for Colston’s Girls’ School and is a current trustee of Venturers Trust, which is responsible for nine schools across Bristol.
She is also former chair of governors of UWE Bristol and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, with honorary degrees from both UWE and the University of Bristol.
Camm, who grew up near Liverpool, moved to Bristol in the 1980s to work for Hay Management Consultants and went on to be an executive director on the board of Clerical Medical Investment Group; from there holding a number of executive and non-executive roles.
She has recently retired from the board of Wessex Water – owned by YTL, the Malaysian firm committed to build an arena in Filton – where she was the senior independent director.
She was also a lay member of the General Medical Council (GMC), where she was the first lay council member to chair the Fitness to Practise Committee and led a review of governance of the GMC following the Shipman Inquiry.
Camm said: “Bristol is a wonderful place to live and work, but it is also a city that has been described as divided.
“SMV is a social purpose organisation and our members volunteer in a wide variety of ways, ranging from acting as school governors through to becoming trustees of various charities.
“Much has happened this year and the result is a welcome acceleration in the pace of change. We are resolved to listen, learn, understand and to work with others to make a difference. Going forward, there is much to do.”
Main photo: Society of Merchant Venturers
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