John Cook (1965, Modern History) and Geoffrey Austin (1983, Chemistry) have been elected to Honorary Fellowships in recognition of their considerable service to Oriel over the years.
John Cook studied Modern History at Oriel (he was also the Rugby Captain for Oriel in 1967), and has long been a supporter of the College. He has given his time generously, serving as Chair of the College’s Investment Advisory Committee from 2012 until 2020. In 2019, John was appointed as the College’s Adam de Brome Fellow, presiding over Oriel’s legacy giving society.
In his career, John has worked as a stockbroker, originally as a member of the London Stock Exchange and then as a member of the Securities Institute. Now retired, as a trustee he advised the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing on their investments, and in the 1990s he was involved in raising funds for the Oriel History Faculty.
Geoffrey Austin studied Chemistry at Oriel, and is the current Chair of the Oriel Alumni Advisory Committee. He was previously President of the Oriel Society from 2012 to 2019 and, from 2006 until 2011, when it combined with the College, Chairman of the Oriel College Development Trust. Geoffrey was also a member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into issues associated with memorials to Cecil Rhodes, which completed its report this May.
Geoffrey is currently a Managing Director at Moelis & Company where he specialises in advising clients in the media and communications sector. He has over 25 years of corporate finance experience and was previously Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Media and Communications at Deutsche Bank and, prior to that, at Hambros Bank. He is also a Trustee of the Eden Trust, which is responsible for the Eden Project in Cornwall, and a member of the Childline Board of the NSPCC.
Both John and Geoffrey have shown an extraordinary level of commitment to Oriel, generously giving their time and expertise to ensure that future generations of Orielenses can benefit from the educational experience that they themselves received. We are delighted that they have accepted these Honorary Fellowships in recognition of their contributions.