In fact if the posts are remunerated in anyway I would say that their recruitment process is in flagrant breach of employment law.

It seems to be another job for the boys situation, representing everything that is wrong with Cambridge University.

• Mr Nigel W. Brown
• Lord Simon of Highbury

The further two places have been filled by:

• Ms Vanessa Lawrence
• Dame Mavis McDonald

Mr Nigel W. Brown

Mr Brown is Chairman of N.W. Brown Group Ltd. based in Regent Street Cambridge.

Nigel is the Chairman of Greater Cambridge Partnership, a member of the University of Cambridge Finance Committee and Venture Capital Committee, a Trustee of the Cambridge Union Society, Chairman of the Cambridge University Technology Service (CUTS) and the Chairman of the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Nigel has supported many initiatives in the fields of music and the arts with financial and moral contributions (including the Nigel W Brown Music Prize for talented Cambridge University Student musicians)

Source: self promoting page on his company’s site entitled “decades of dedication”

Lord Simon of Highbury (Mr David Simon)

He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1961 and joined British Petroleum as a management trainee, became chief executive in 1982 and 1992, managing director in 1986. [...]

He became Advisor to Unilever and was Chairman of the Belgo-British Conference in 2004.

When Labour won the 1997 elections, he was appointed Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe.

He is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Source : Wikipedia article on Lord Simon of Highbury

Ms Vanessa Lawrence

Chief Executive and of Ordnance Survey Director General of the. Ordnance Survey
She became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2008 New Year’s Honours List.

Dame Mavis McDonald

Mavis was appointed a Trustee [of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust ] in 2006. She was a career civil servant for 39 years. She worked largely on housing, regeneration, community development, social exclusion and local government finance, structure and performance in the Department for Environment and its successors. She was Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office from 2000 - 2002 and retired as Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in October 2005.

She is Chair of the Public Sector Construction Clients Forum, and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Source: Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust
She has accepted a “Dames Commander of the Order of the Bath” award from the Queen *

Mr Brown appears to have become very much part of the Cambridge University establishment already. The other three are royalists.

Lord Simon of Highbury has appears to have made little impact in the House of Lords as the following summary of his activities from Theyworkforyou.com makes clear:

• Has never voted on introducing ID cards.
• Has never voted on the hunting ban.
• Has never voted on equal gay rights.
• Has never voted on laws to stop climate change.

[...]

• Has spoken in 0 debates in the last year — below average amongst Lords.
• Has received answers to 0 written questions in the last year — average amongst Lords.
• Has voted in 2% of votes in parliament — well below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip)

Presumably the University have identified him as someone who will sit quietly, say nothing, do very little and not rock the boat there either.

Lord Simon is listed by Common Purpose as one of its “hosts” for an event described as a: “Leading Beyond Authority Masterclass” held on 10 October 2008. Common Purpose is thought by many to be a highly sinister organisation, see for example this video.