Formerly: Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Cress retired in 2022 after 5 years as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and over 38 years of public service. Having started her police service as a Constable on the streets of London, she served in various roles in the Met, Thames Valley Police and the National Police College. In 2009, she was the first woman to be an Assistant Commissioner in the Met and subsequently led UK national counterterrorist policing for three years, including during the 2012 Olympics. In 2015 Cress joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as a Director General before returning two years later to lead the UKs biggest police service.
A Governor (2020-), The Ditchley Foundation.