2017: Kate Bulkley ’77, Journalist

After graduating from Chatham Hall, she earned a B.A. in Modern European History at Smith College, then an M.A. in international studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, part of Johns Hopkins University. While completing her degree she began her journalism career as an intern at CNN in Washington, D.C., and next worked in radio and print media in her home state of Colorado. Kate moved to London in 1990, as the first International Editor for Cable World magazine. She made the move to television four years later, joining Dow Jones-owned European Business News, where she created and co-presented an award-winning, daily half-hour media show. From 1998 to 2001, Kate was on-screen Media Editor at CNBC Europe.

For the last 16 years, Kate has been an independent journalist, publishing articles in a range of media. She has written a bi-weekly column in the UK’s leading TV trade magazine Broadcast for more than ten years. She regularly has columns on media in The Guardian newspaper, as well as articles in many other publications. She is a frequent contributor to TV channels and podcasts as a pundit with a deep knowledge of the technology, media, and telecoms sectors.

Her work also involves curating the editorial themes and casting for industry conferences held in locations around the world, though her primary focus is EMEA, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Her skills as an interviewer and moderator mean she works at a high level across the media and technology industries, interviewing heads of some of the world’s largest TV and film companies, such as the BBC, CBS, Vodafone, MTV, and Dreamworks in addition to digital media giants, including Google, Twitter, and Amazon. The list of celebrities who have been on the sharp end of Kate’s questions includes: Tom Cruise, Kiefer Sutherland, Benedict Cumberbatch, James (Titanic) Cameron and members of the cast of “Downton Abbey."

Her volunteer work centers on developing the future of her industry for her contemporaries and for the next generation of journalists. This includes more than 14 years involvement–including as chairman–with Britain’s premier television organization for media journalists and critics, the Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG). She has been BPG Awards chair for more than a dozen years. She has also held significant roles on committees for the Royal Television Society, notably as chair of one of the RTS's events organizing committees.

Kate has an unquenchable curiosity and resourceful research skills, traits that were apparent more than 40 years ago at Chatham Hall. Whatever the subject, she gets to the heart of the matter and often brings important insights and wisdom to organizations with which she’s associated. Fortunately, one of those organizations is Chatham Hall, where Kate is now completing her first term on the Board of Trustees. She’s a tireless advocate for the school. In January 2017, she inaugurated the Chatham Hall Alumnae Network in Europe by hosting a “Fortified Tea” at Fortnum & Mason in London for Chatham Hall alumnae, families, friends, and their guests. Kate is married to Ross Biddiscombe, author, journalist, and Brit.