Our Commissioners

Patron 
HM THE King
 

His Majesty The King became 
Patron of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission 
on 12 November 2023.

PRESIDENT
HRH THE Princess Royal
 

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was appointed 
President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
on 12 November 2023.

With thanks
HRH THE DUKE OF KENT
KG GCMG GCVO ADC (P)

His Royal Highness The Duke Of Kent was appointed
President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
on 27 February 1970 and served for more than 50 years before retiring in 2023.

CHAIRMAN
The Rt Hon John Healey MP

John Healey became Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission upon his appointment as Secretary of State for Defence in July 2024. He has served as an MP since 1997, and was elected to the newly formed seat Rawmarsh and Conisbrough in the 2024 election. He has previously been Shadow Defence Secretary since April 2020. Prior to this he held several Ministerial and Cabinet posts including Minister for Housing and Planning, Local Government Minister, and Financial Secretary to the Treasury. John was born in Wakefield and educated at Lady Lumley’s Comprehensive School, Pickering, and St Peter’s School in York and Christ’s College, Cambridge. Before entering politics John worked in the voluntary sector for several disability charities. He has also worked in communications and campaigns roles and was Campaigns Director for the TUC before his 1997 election. John is married with one son and lives in Rotherham.

VICE CHAIRMAN
VICE ADMIRAL PETER HUDSON CB CBE

Peter Hudson joined the Commission in July 2019 and became Vice Chairman in July 2023. A former Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy; he held numerous commands during his 36 year career including three warships, the UK’s amphibious forces and multinational coalition operations in the Gulf. As a Flag Officer, his senior appointments included leading EU operations undertaking counter piracy operations off Somalia and serving as NATO’s senior maritime commander for alliance wide maritime operations during which he was also a member of the UK Navy Board. On leaving the Service he spent 7 years in the Defence Industry, most latterly with BAE Systems where he was the company's Naval Advisor. He is National President of the Combined Cadet Force and is a Trustee of the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth.

COMMISSIONER
HIS EXCELLENCY JEREMIAH NYAMANE MAMABOLO

His Excellency Jeremiah Nyamane Mamabolo joined the Commission on appointment as High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He was formerly Joint Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and Chairperson of the African Union. Prior to this he had been the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations (New York) and High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has a Master's Degree in Public Administration and is fluent in English; Zulu; Xhosa; Sesotho; Setswana and Afrikaans with a working knowledge of Spanish and Ki-Swahili.

COMMISSIONER
His Excellency Vikram K. Doraiswami

His Excellency Vikram K. Doraiswami has a Masters' Degree in History from the University of Delhi and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992 as a journalist. He was posted to the Indian High Commission, Hong Kong in 1994 and later the Indian Embassy, Beijing in 1996. Returning to New Delhi in 2000, he ultimately served as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. Moving to the U.N. New York in 2006, he then became India's Consul General, South Africa in 2009. Following a move to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) between 2011 and 2014, he was appointed as Ambassador to Uzbekistan (2014) and the Republic of Korea (2015). Returning to MEA work in 2018 he was later appointed as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh (2020) and High Commissioner to the UK in September 2022.

COMMISSIONER
HIS EXCELLENCY Hamish Cooper

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Hamish was educated at Christ’s College, the University of Canterbury, and the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985 and has held senior roles in Wellington and overseas, including postings in Tokyo, Osaka, and London. At the Ministry’s Head Office in Wellington he was Director for International Security and Disarmament and twice Senior Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hamish served as New Zealand Ambassador to Turkey, to the Russian Federation and to Japan. He took up the position of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in September 2025.

COMMISSIONER
His Excellency The Hon Jay Wilson Weatherill AO

Mr Weatherill is currently Executive Director, Democracy and Engagement, McKinnon Foundation. He was previously Leader of the South Australian Labor Party and 45th Premier of South Australia (2011-2018). As a Member of Parliament, he served as Treasurer of South Australia (2013-2014); Minister for Education (2010-2011); Minister for Environment and Conservation (2008-2010); Minister for Ageing, Disability and Housing (2004-2008); and Minister for Administrative Services (2002-2004).

Prior to his political career, Mr Weatherill was a founding partner in an employment specialised law firm, Lieschke & Weatherill (1995-2002). He is Chairperson, Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation; Ambassador for international education foundation Reggio Children; and a board member of Medibank and the National Gallery of Australia. Mr Weatherill holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Economics, University of Adelaide, and a Graduate Diploma Legal Practice.

He took up the position of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in January 2026.

COMMISSIONER
DAME JUDITH MAYHEW JONAS DBE

Judith Mayhew Jonas joined the Commission in January 2019. She graduated, then lectured at the University of Otago New Zealand. Moving to the UK, she lectured in law at King's College, University of London, set up the Anglo French Law Degree (Sorbonne) and in 1986 was elected to the City of London Corporation. In 1989 she became Special Adviser to the Chairman at Clifford Chance and Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee in 1996.

She has served on educational and cultural boards at Birkbeck College, Imperial College London, Gresham College, the Natural History and Imperial War Museums. She was Provost of King’s College Cambridge 2003-06, Chairman of The Royal Opera House 2003-08 and 2008-11, The New West End Company and the Independent Schools Council, Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and is Chair of the trustees of the CWGF.

COMMISSIONER
SIR TIM HITCHENS, KCVO, CMG

Sir Tim joined the Commission in December 2019. He is a former British diplomat, and a former Assistant Private Secretary to the late Queen. His diplomatic posts include France, Pakistan, Director Africa and Director of European Political Affairs, and Ambassador to Tokyo. He was CEO of the Commonwealth Summit in London in 2018.  Sir Tim is currently President of Wolfson College at Oxford University and Chairman of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2012 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2018.

COMMISSIONER
KERYN JAMES

Keryn James joined the Commission in December 2020 and is an experienced global executive and non-executive board member with expertise in sustainability, global operations, transformation and technology. As well as being a Commissioner for the Royal Charter organisation Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), she is an Independent Board Member for the not-for-profit Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). She is also an independent non-executive Director on the Supervisory Board of Siemens A.G; Chair of global recruitment firm, Opus Talent Solutions; and Chair of advisory and analytics firm, Laine Clarke and Peacock (LCP).

Keryn had a successful 29- year career at the world’s leading global sustainability consultancy firm, ERM, including the role of Group CEO between 2017 and 2022. During her career at ERM, Keryn held various leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer and Regional CEO for Asia Pacific. She worked extensively throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas with a deep domain knowledge of sustainability and ESG across multiple sectors including energy, manufacturing, finance, technology, mining, power and chemicals. She has engaged in business sustainability leadership for many years, in particular through her involvement in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) where she served on the Executive Committee until March 2022 and was a winner of their Women in Leadership award. She is a regular speaker at key sustainability conferences and events.

COMMISSIONER
LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR BEN BATHURST KCVO, CBE

Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst joined as the Army Commissioner in July 2023. He is currently serving as the Governor and Commander-in-Chief Gibraltar. Prior to that, he served as UK’s Military Representative to NATO and the EU and before that, as General Officer Commanding London District and Major General Commanding the Household Division. He has held operational commands in Afghanistan, Iraq (including command of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in Maysan, Iraq), Bosnia with the UN and Northern Ireland. He has deployed on two tours in Belize and in Germany. In various posts in the Ministry of Defence, he ran Army Public Relations and he was employed in Army capability and acquisition. He has also been the Army’s Director of Training.

COMMISSIONER
AIR MARSHAL Sir Stuart Atha KBE, CB, DSO

Sir Stuart Atha joined the Commission in October 2023. A retired Air Marshal, his career spanned 35 years, during which he flew a number of aircraft including the Hawk, Harrier, Typhoon and Spitfire and Hurricane. He commanded at all levels, including as Station Commander at RAF Coningsby and Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group, during which he was responsible for the 2012 London Olympics Air Security Plan. His staff experience included operationally focused tours in the MOD and PJHQ. His final tour was as the Air Member for Operations on the Air Force Board. After leaving the RAF in 2019, he joined BAE Systems as a Director on the Air Board. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, and Patron of the Jon Egging Trust, a charity that provides opportunity to disadvantaged young people.

COMMISSIONER
Chris Evans MP

Chris joined the Commission in May 2025. He has been the Labour MP for Caerphilly since 2024 and was MP for Islwyn between 2010 and 2024. In opposition he served as Shadow Minister for defence procurement, social security, and digital economy and technology. He is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Archives and History, and Writers. Before entering politics, Chris was a trade union official with the Union of Finance Staff. He has written several books with his latest ‘Football Battalions - the elite footballers who fought in the Great War’ to be published in October 2025. Chris was made an Honorary fellow of Trinity College Carmarthen in 2017.

COMMISSIONER
The Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MBE VR MP

Tom joined the Commission in May 2025. He has been the Conservative MP for Tonbridge since 2015. Tom was appointed to Cabinet in 2022 and joined HM The King’s Privy Council. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Security Minister with responsiblity for Britain’s intelligence efforts to protect against foreign and domestic threats. He has Chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee, and joined the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. Before entering politics, Tom served in the British Army’s Intelligence Corps, deploying on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also worked for the Foreign Office. On his return to the UK, Tom was appointed Military Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the UK Armed Forces. He is an alumnus of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and serves as an Honorary Professor in the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter.