Lucian John Hudson (born 1960) is a strategy and communications specialist from the UK.

Early life and education

Hudson was born on 5 July 1960 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to Polish parents, Jan and Wanda Maria Pikulski. He has a degree in

philosophy, politics and economics Philosophy, politics and economics, or politics, philosophy and economics (PPE), is an interdisciplinary undergraduate or postgraduate academic degree, degree which combines study from three disciplines. The first institution to offer degrees in P ...

from

St Catherine's College, Oxford St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. In 1974, it was also one of the first men's colleges to admit women. It has 528 un ...

Religion and conversion to Judaism

Hudson was brought up as a Roman Catholic. He was educated by Jesuits but he became interested in Judaism. He converted to Judaism in 2005

By 2009, he became Chair of Liberal Judaism (United Kingdom), Liberal Judaism, developing over his six years in office a vision and strategy for the movement and closer collaboration with the leadership of UK Jewry and the

Movement for Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, formally the Movement for Reform Judaism (MRJ) and known as Reform Synagogues of Great Britain until 2005, is one of the two World Union for Progressive Judaism–affiliated denominations in the United Kingdom. Reform is relat ...

. The latter helped pave the way for the unification of Liberal and Reform Judaism into one Progressive Judaism (United Kingdom) in 2025.

Career

Hudson was an executive producer and television journalist for 17 years with the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and ITV. He was director of communications in three UK government departments, including the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...

, as well as the UK government's first "webmaster general". In 2013 Hudson served as an independent expert reviewing the communications capability of the Cabinet Office and No. 10 Downing Street. In 2020 he was appointed Director of Advancement, Marketing and Communications at

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

, having served as Interim Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, and Communications Director of

The Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

. From June 2025, he became Executive Director, Communications & External Relations as his responsibilities now also include public affairs. With effect from January 2023, he is also Professor in Practice (Leadership and Organisations) in the Department of Management and Marketing at Durham University Business School. He is board chair and trustee of Earthwatch Europe, Chair of Tavistock Institute of Human Relations‘Tavistock Institute’
accessed 25 July 2021
/ref> as well as a vice-president of the Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Lucian John 1960 births Living people Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford BBC newsreaders and journalists British Jews British people of Polish descent Liberal Judaism (United Kingdom) Academics of Durham University