Alumni at the forefront of high-profile events

The following article was first published in this year's edition of The Wheel, the College's annual newsletter, in June 2023. 

St Catharine’s takes great pride in how our alumni forge careers and serve communities around the world. Three alumni were recognised for their service in the New Year Honours list. We interviewed them about the high-profile events in which they were involved last year.

	Sir John Benger (1979, English) was knighted for services to Parliament, having been Clerk of the House of Commons since 2019. He was involved in planning and deploying Operation Marquee in September 2022, the parliamentary aspects of the arrangements for the demise of the monarch. We are delighted that Sir John will be our next Master.
	Rosanna Machado (1994, Economics) has worked in the events industry for over 20 years. Rosanna was CEO of The Platinum Jubilee Pageant held on 5 June 2022, involving over 10,000 people from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty The Queen.
	Ian Metcalfe (1977, Law) is a qualified solicitor who retired from Wragge & Co in 2014. Ian was Chair of Commonwealth Games England (CGE), on the Board of the Organising Committee (OC) for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and on the Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board. He was awarded an OBE for services to Sport.

How did you support preparations for the event?

JB: Preparations for Operation Marquee were extensive and drew upon many people in both Houses of Parliament, although it seemed unimaginable for many of us that the Queen would one day no longer be in our lives. All my recent predecessors were involved over the years and it became one of my duties in 2019. When news of Her Majesty’s death emerged on 8 September 2022, my role related to the organisation and timing of tributes by MPs in the Chamber, integrating these into the meeting of the Accession Council and a service of prayer and reflection in St Paul’s.

RM: The Jubilee Pageant was organised by a bespoke, self-funded company that raised £13 million to support a procession through central London. For 15 months leading
up to the event, I ran the company, recruited a team, oversaw all aspects of creativity, operations and delivery, and liaised with the Royal Household and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). I was also determined to make a positive impact on the communities we worked with, from projects in schools to running green workshops.

IM: CGE bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after the original host city withdrew in 2017. As a proud Brummie, I was thrilled to be involved from the first day of the bid to the last day of delivery. As a non-executive director of the OC, I was a “critical friend” to the executives for the world’s second most complex sporting event (after the Olympics). Local knowledge came in handy too, from videoing the athletes’ village near my house when lockdown prevented others visiting, to advising on the best routes across Birmingham. My focus at CGE was on preparing and managing Team England’s participation in the Games.

What memories stand out during the event?

RM: I was in the control room to monitor the Pageant’s progress and was on call in case of any major operational issues. I remember we only ran 5 minutes late, which was amazing as we never rehearsed in full! It was incredible to watch performers from across the UK and Commonwealth create something so magical.

IM: The exceptional Opening and Closing Ceremonies stand out for me – no Brummie will forget Ozzy Osborne closing the Games by screaming, “Birmingham forever!”
My time was mostly dedicated to Team England duties and seeing 25 of our 26 sports, including all the para sports, in 19 different venues. I had the privilege of helping to host six different members of the Royal Family, including Princess Charlotte at her first official engagement without either of her siblings present.

JB: The public may recall queues progressing smoothly through Westminster Hall during the Lying-in-State period, but twice-daily briefing meetings involving dozens of
staff from many departments underpinned these complex arrangements. One moment I felt privileged to witness was the arrival of the coffin into Westminster Hall. It was borne by members of the Queen’s Company Grenadier Guards, accompanied by the choir of the Chapel Royal singing Psalm 139, “Oh Lord, thou hast searched me out and known me”, counterpointing the rhythmic march of boots on the floor of the hall.

What feedback stood out most to you?

IM: Andy Bull in the Guardian summed up the experience best in his article ‘It’s a Brum Ting – how did the Host City do?’: “At best, it felt like a glimpse of Britain as it ought to be in the 21st century – open, busy, witty, creative, colourful and multi-cultural, alive to all sides of its history but not in thrall to any of it.”

JB: I lost count of the tributes paid to my colleagues by His Majesty the King, parliamentarians, the media and the wider public. The enormous efforts of the Royal Household, military personnel, police and the Government are also deserving of praise. I can’t remember an occasion when people were so willing to work together and so supportive; doing justice to the memory of the Queen was a sustaining motivation.

RM: I was delighted with feedback about the positive impact of the Pageant in terms of revitalising our creative industries in the wake of COVID-19, bringing communities together, building capacity and creating a joyful event. This legacy exceeded my expectations and is a credit to my whole team, who worked tirelessly throughout.