Stephen Peel OLY Elected Chair of Cambridge University Boat Club

Cambridge University Boat Club is pleased to announce that Stephen Peel OLY has been elected as our new Chair, succeeding Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY following the completion of her term.

Stephen Peel is an investor and global business executive who spent over 30 years in private equity, including 17 years as a senior partner at TPG Capital. He now invests in growing companies in the life sciences and the energy transition sectors. He has founded SMP Policy Innovation Limited to fund public policy research and he actively supports a range of charitable initiatives.

He has co-founded and chairs two charities:

• Infinity Boat Club, providing a competitive rowing program to socially and economically disadvantaged school children in Teesside and
• The Tujenge Africa Foundation, which runs a post high school leadership academy in Burundi, the world’s poorest country

He also serves as a trustee of King’s College Hospital Charity, is co-chair of the UK Group on the Trilateral Commission and sits on the Advisory Board of the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale.

Stephen earned his BA and MA from Cambridge University in 1987. He rowed in the Men’s Blue Boat in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and served as President in his final year. He was a member of the GB National Rowing Team (1985-1988), competing in three World Championships and representing England at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, where he won a silver medal. He also represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games.

In 2015, Stephen received a Master of Advanced Studies from Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs and later became a Visiting Fellow of Practice at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. He is a Wilkins Fellow of Downing College and a member of the Guild of Cambridge Benefactors.

The Club extends its heartfelt thanks to Annamarie for her exceptional leadership over the past five years, a truly transformative period in CUBC’s history. As the first Chair after the unification of the three founding clubs, Annamarie oversaw significant developments, including:

• A new staff structure designed to better support coaches and student-athletes.
• The launch of a philanthropic programme, enabling hundreds of alumni and parents to contribute to the Club’s financial independence and long-term sustainability, all with the goal of maximising performance and enriching the student experience.

Under her stewardship, CUBC achieved remarkable success:

30 crews raced against Oxford, securing 26 victories, including:

9 of 10 Boat Races
8 of 10 Reserve Races
9 of 10 Lightweight Races

Beyond The Boat Race, CUBC crews excelled at major events such as the Head of the Charles, HORR, WeHORR, Henley Women’s, Henley Royal, and BUCS, all whilst maintaining outstanding academic standards.

Reflecting on her tenure, Annamarie shared:

‘As my time as Chair draws to a close, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible support and engagement you have shown over the past five years. There have been challenges, of course, but I have been continually inspired by the dedication of our students, staff, committees, board members, university partners, and our alumni and supporters. Serving as Chair has been both a privilege and a pleasure, and I now look forward to passing the reins to Stephen. Thank you once again for your trust and support.’

The Club will formally recognise Annamarie’s contribution, along with Mark Horton’s and Paul Withers’, who have completed their tenure on the CUBC Foundation Council, at the 2026 Boat Race Dinner. We also congratulate Stephen Berger and Paul Brine on their appointment to the Council.