Class of 1968

Armed with a degree in set design from the Central School of Art and Design, Jenny took a chance on an unpaid job designing costumes for a small Merchant Ivory film, Hullabaloo over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures, which marked the beginning of her long relationship with the famed film makers. She won her first Oscar with Merchant Ivory in 1986 for her work on A Room with a View. She has since worked on some of cinema’s most successful period pictures, including The Bostonians, Howard’s End, Sense and Sensibility, Gosford Park and The King’s Speech. 

“Putney offered such good teaching and such a grounding for life. In the job I do now I am learning all the time – about the subject matter of the film, the locations we are filming in, the people I am working with…it never stops and is the joy of the work. Putney High School set me up well for my world.” 

With an extensive career in costume design, Jenny is now reputed to possess one of the sharpest creative minds in the business and is in constant demand. Jenny has been nominated for an Oscar 12 times, winning 3; she has won 4 BAFTAs and 2 Emmys, amongst a plethora of others.  

Class of 1997

After leaving Putney, Alison read Economics at the University of Southampton and has subsequently held a number of prominent roles in the financial sector. She spent five years on the trading floor in European High Yield prior to joining JPMorgan Private Bank to co-found the EMEA Financial Sponsors business in 2006.  Her career has taken her through several big names in banking, including Credit Suisse, Coutts & Co and more, culminating in her current role as Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, specialising in Ultra High Net Worth Wealth Management, Financial Sponsors and Complex Families. Alison was a finalist in Spear’s Ultra High Net Worth Wealth Manager of the year awards in 2023.  

In addition to her success in the banking world, she co-founded the luxury fashion brand 1947 Bespoke in 2015. Borne of her frustration that Savile Row did not cater to women looking for elegant, feminine workwear, 1947 Bespoke uses only pure wools and silks and has many loyal international clients. This demi-couture luxury brand has been featured in the FT’s How to Spend it, Tatler and Great British Brands.  

Outside of work, Alison has five young children and sits on the campaign Boards for Historic Royal Palaces, the Royal Institution of Science, and Smart Works. 

Class of 2018

Saskia is a mechanical engineer who studied at the University of Edinburgh. While studying, she gained an internship at Alpine in the Formula 1 racing team and has been working full time for Alpine since her graduation in 2023. While at Putney, Saskia gained a prestigious Arkwright Scholarship and has paved the way for future Putney pupils to pursue a career in this male-dominated field. To read more about Saskia’s journey from the lab at Putney to the racetrack, click here. 

Class of 2005

At the age of ten, Mary followed in her father’s footsteps and took up fencing, in Mary’s case at Putney High School. Mary had a 19-year international fencing career and was on the senior British team from when age 19 to 33. She was British Champion three times, won two bronze medals at the Commonwealth games in 2014, and gold at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in 2018 as captain of the England team.  

After studying medicine at Cambridge and King’s College London, she became a Paediatric Doctor and combined her two professional passions as a European Fencing Confederation doctor. She has been the medical director of several international competitions including the Senior European Championships in Dusseldorf in 2019, and the 2022 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in London. She went on to join the Board of British Fencing in 2021 and is a part of its medical sub-committee.  

Fencing and Medicine are not perfectly compatible, and sometimes she needed to take time out to focus on events, but even when training full-time in France, she worked one day a week in a French Accident and Emergency departments. She is clear that both of her identities are equally important.   

Since retiring from professional fencing, Mary lives in Manchester with her family.  

Class of 1997 

Rosenna started playing the violin at 3 years old and at Putney she continued to practice and perform, joining the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Never focusing solely on music as she had broad academic interests, she went onto read Modern History at Brasenose College, Oxford. She continued to play all through university, leading the Oxford University Orchestra, and after graduating decided to extend her studies as a Postgraduate at the Royal College of Music. She gained a Masters there and was awarded a Fellowship.  

Not long after the beginning of her professional career Rosenna was offered a place in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and moved to Edinburgh. During her 10 years as a professional musician in the orchestra, she started to explore her other interests. These included taking up board positions on the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and others, which was her first look into the world of Arts Management.  

In 2014, Rosenna accepted the role as General Manager for the Nevill Holt Opera. Then, it was a fledgling opera festival in the East Midlands, taking place at the stately home of businessman (Nevill Holt Hall). It was a very steep learning curve, but in a very short time the turnover of the company was tripled, it developed a reputation as a sell-out festival and Rosenna oversaw the growth of the Education and Outreach programme. Their success unlocked new backing, and in 2016 work began on a new theatre in the stable block at Nevill Holt which opened in 2018. The theatre won multiple RIBA awards, and narrowly missed out on the Stirling Prize for Architecture.  

In 2019, Rosenna was approached by a former colleague, conductor John Wilson, about the possibility of managing a new orchestra he was founding – Sinfonia of London. She started as Managing Director in 2020, and since then, has delivered 4 sell out BBC Proms – all of which have been on TV – as well as other UK tours, festival appearances, concerts for streaming on demand, and multiple award-winning recordings for Chandos Records. In 2020 she started a part-time Executive MBA at Bayes Business School to underpin her business experience and graduated in 2023 with distinction.  

Since 2020, Rosenna has had two children, which has also taught her a lot, and she lives with her family in London.  

Class of 1988 

After graduating from Cambridge in 1991, Sophy embarked upon a successful career in the Royal Armed Forces.  She served in the RAF for 19 years, being the first woman to hold every job to which she was posted. She served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, spent a tour of duty at sea with the Royal Navy and was subsequently awarded the MBE in 2003. She left the RAF in 2011 as an Wing Commander.  

“I remember the teachers [at Putney High School]… they left me with no doubt that we can all go out into the world and be successful … it was that sense of confidence that they gave.”  

In 2011 she established her own communications business before returning to academics in 2016 as a PhD student at Exeter University.  Her thesis focused on the political, organisational and socio-cultural history of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the inter-war years, military innovation, and the RAF’s impact on inter-service competition. Since 2022 she has been a research fellow at The Freeman Air and Space Institute at King’s College London mainly researching contemporary air and space power.   

Over the years Sophy has contributed to many other projects associated with the RAF, including serving as a member of the Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society; serving as the RAF Museum’s event director for the 98th birthday of the RAF; and the event director for the dedication and unveiling of the memorial to the Bomber Command aircrew who lost their lives in the second world war. She has also worked with service charities on events, media, communications and marketing, and co-founded the Defence Research Network.  

Class of 1997 

Aimee is a Consultant Endocrine Surgeon at Imperial College NHS Trust, London. She studied pre-clinical medicine at Newnham College, Cambridge where she gained Blues for representing Cambridge University in the Women’s Boat Race.  She then moved to Guy’s, King’s & St. Thomas’ School of Medicine, London for her clinical course, graduating with distinction. Aimee is extremely keen on encouraging bright students from all backgrounds to join the profession in order to maintain the status of clinicians at the forefront of advancing medical knowledge and technology. 

Class of 2016 

“Putney meant so much to me and I hope it means the same for other people.” 

Class of 1995 

“I was allowed to be the individual I was.” 

Class of 1991

Journalist, writer and producer, Ramita Navai has spent a career spanning two decades fearlessly speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. With a reputation for working in hostile environments, she has reported from over forty countries, made over thirty documentaries and features and worked as a foreign correspondent for print. 

In 2023 alone, Ramita won the Grierson Award for Best Current Affairs Documentary for Afghanistan: No Country for Women, as well as the Rose D’Or Award. She was also named Royal Television Society Presenter of The Year 2023 for the film, which was described by the judges as “truly compelling” with an “astonishing depth of knowledge on the subject”. 

Speaking at the GDST WoW event (Women of the World Festival) this year, Cheryl Giovannoni, GDST CEO, said: 

“Our mission at the GDST is to support girls to learn without limits and give them the tools, freedom and power to make informed decisions, and fulfil their potential, on whatever path they choose to take – Ramita embodies this mission to the fullest.” 

In 2023 Ramita was named the GDST Alumna of the Year.  

Class of 1967 

After an impressive management and marketing career in engineering, computing and audio visuals, Ailsa set up the NRAS in 2001. Having lived with Sero-negative Rheumatoid Arthritis since her early 30s, she recognised the need for support for those suffering from the disease, and after her daughter started university, she entered a new phase of her professional life.   

The NRAS are acknowledged as the voice for people with RA in the UK and provide a wide range of services for people affected by RA including self-management training and supports a huge amount of academic research.  Ailsa spent a lot of time working closely with rheumatology teams and speaking with other sufferers of RA across the UK and has since been consulted by a multitude of policy makers for her advice. In 2009 she was on the expert panel advising the National Audit Office in respect of their landmark report on RA.  She was also Joint Chair of the Rheumatology Futures Project Group which was responsible for commissioning the King’s Fund Report into RA and the subsequent inflammatory arthritis commissioning pathway. 

In the Queen’s New Year’s Honours in 2016 Ailsa was awarded an MBE for services to people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. In 2019 she stepped down as CEO of the NRAS to focus more on research and developing supported self-management resources for NRAS. 

Class of 1966 

After leaving Putney, Virginia attended Exeter and the London School of Economics. She started her career as a researcher for the Child Action Poverty Group and then went on to become a social worker.  She has also served as a Magistrate and as Chairwoman of the Inner London Juvenile Court. 

In 1984 she was elected to the Houses of Parliament as the member for Southwest Surrey and served as a Member of Parliament until 2005.  During that time, she held several cabinet positions in John Major’s government, including the Secretary of State for Health.  

Class of 1979 

Class of 1987

Class of 1986

Class of 1983

Software Engineer Victoria Westnedge (Class of 2006) works in Santiago, Chile, where she is also part of a programme aimed at encouraging more girls into STEM. Here she tells us how she got the travel bug while at Putney and has continued exploring ever since.

Tell us about your first encounter with travelling.

‘When I was a student at Putney, there was a brilliant teacher who came with us to India as part of a volunteer expedition.  We had to raise money and plan for the trip, and it was the first time I had really experienced a completely different culture, and I enjoyed having some ownership of the trip.

‘When I left school, I knew I wanted to do more travelling on my own before I went to university, so I went to Thailand to teach English for six months. As a pupil at Putney, I was quite studious and quiet, and it was travelling that really helped me find my voice. I was forced to talk to people I didn’t know, and adapt to the situations I found myself in. It was the making of me, and I found it addictive!

‘After university I was impatient to be abroad again and this time, I went to the Dominican Republic (DR) to teach.  It was completely different to my experience in Thailand. I was teaching science instead of English, but often the level of English in the classroom varied, so it was tricky. The culture in the classroom was also vastly different. In Thailand the children are incredibly disciplined and respectful of the teacher, but in the DR, it was much more chaotic, with no structured curriculum.’

Tell us about your time at university and how your career began.

‘I studied Physics at Sheffield University, which I found incredibly interesting, but I always knew that I didn’t want to specialise as a scientist. I wanted to go into business. When I came back from the Dominican Republic, I started working at Wayfair, as a Logistics Analyst. I developed a good relationship with the hiring manager who had a similar background to me: he had studied engineering and lived abroad.

When Victoria was at university, she developed a love of salsa, and other types of Latin dancing, and while living in London she kept up her interest in both the culture and language of Latin America.

‘I worked with Wayfair in London for five years and spent a lot of time dancing in salsa clubs and meeting people from all over Latin America.  I had started learning a bit of the language at university, but I started to properly speak Spanish at this point, learning to dance from native speakers.

‘I then moved with Wayfair to Galway to lead an operations team in Ireland and Germany. It was a very different environment –  a smaller team with a real community feeling. I travelled to Berlin once a month to see the team there, and this quelled the travel-bug for a while.’

Tell us about how you chose Santiago.

‘I knew that I wanted to explore South America. My path has been dictated by where salsa has taken me. Salsa clubs were my way of meeting people and socialising, so, after two years in Ireland, I planned a trip and set off on my own.  I started in the North, visiting The Galapagos, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina among others. I went to specific places that I knew were famous for dance classes, like Cali in Colombia and I spent a month in Buenos Aires practising Tango.

‘My time in Argentina was amazing and I loved the culture, but I had always planned to end up in Chile as I knew the economic climate there was more stable and it would be easier for me to get a job and settle in.

‘When I arrived, the first few months were tougher than I expected. Chilean culture is very different from the other places I had visited. Mostly the job market works through networking and connections, so as an outsider I found it hard to get a foothold. The people are also much more reserved, and it was more difficult to make friends. Although my Spanish was at a good level by this stage, the dialect also made it difficult to converse, so I started to take Spanish more seriously and took some classes to help with the strong accent.

‘I secured my first job through someone I knew from the UK, working in a shipping company. It wasn’t my ideal job, but it allowed me to practise Spanish and get used to living in Santiago.  After a year I moved to Nestle in a role similar to the one I had held in Wayfair.  However, unlike Wayfair it wasn’t a tech company, which is my real area of interest, so when I was headhunted for a leadership role at a Fintech company, I took it. The role came with a lot more responsibility and being a tech company it was exactly where I wanted to be.’

During this time Victoria got married and had a baby, and afterwards her career took her in a slightly different direction.

What made you choose to retrain as a Software Engineer?

‘I had decided that I wanted to work in the tech world, and thought that with my background in Physics, that this could be an interesting change of career. I did a bootcamp in software development for two months of intensive programming and learning. It was difficult, but I enjoyed it, and I managed to get advice from peers who had studied physics with me at Sheffield who were now working as software developers.

‘For junior developers it is a challenging time, because the majority of roles are looking for people with years of technical experience’

However, after a few months, she was offered a role as Junior Software Developer at a Chilean health company where she is currently working.

‘Programming constantly challenges me to think critically and solve problems creatively. It’s incredibly rewarding when your code works as intended and you know you’ve built something functional and impactful.’

Tell us about your work with PROVOCA.

PROVOCA, which means ‘provokes’, is a Chilean initiative that connects female professionals with young girls who would like to work or study in STEM fields. As a member of this programme Victoria is a mentor to 4 female students who are considering studying STEM at university. The idea is to encourage and provide guidance to students and act as role models to them.  Each session includes specific topics, such as ‘Self esteem’ and ‘Imposter Syndrome’ so they can be more aware of the challenges they may face and how to overcome them.

‘When I originally moved to Chile, I did find it harder to meet people, and to break into the job market, because the culture wasn’t as receptive to foreigners. Having secured my first job through a personal connection from the UK, I then found progression through other women that I work with, old friends from university and recently a colleague in software engineering.

 ‘There are those specific teachers who inspire and motivate you. My physics teacher was a brilliant female role model – she encouraged and motivated me, and I believe this is one of the reasons I chose to study Physics at university. I never questioned it, and I think that is so valuable. It is something I only appreciated once I was older, realising the apprehension some girls feel when looking into these male-dominated fields. I just viewed it as a challenge.’