Polly was Founder Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (1989-2021), an internationally recognised centre of excellence in sustainability leadership working with business, government and the finance sector. She is a Fellow of Churchill College, an Honorary Fellow of Murray Edwards College, and Chair of the Faculty Board of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She is a member of the Supervisory Board for Mercedes Benz AG, and a Non-Executive Director of the British Standards Institute.
Polly is a member of the judging panel for the King’s Award for Sustainable Development and a Trustee of Cambridge Past, Present and Future, a local charity dedicating to protecting and enhancing the Cambridge area and its green landscapes. Polly holds a BA from the University of Cape Town and an MA from the University of Cambridge
Polly was made a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO) in 2008, and appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2016 for services to Sustainability Leadership. She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 2021.