Catherine Webb, a senior British Treasury official and bursar of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, has died at the age of 47 after a battle with metastatic ovarian cancer. Webb’s career spanned critical periods in recent British economic and political history, including the 2008 financial crisis and the Brexit negotiations.

Born in Bebington, Wirral, and raised in the Cheshire village of Hartford, Webb attended local schools before studying economics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Early on, she was active in Labour Party campaigning and maintained a strong engagement with economic and political issues throughout her life.

Webb began her civil service career at HM Treasury in 2000, initially focusing on labor markets, welfare policy, and poverty analysis. She became involved in managing the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis, notably through a secondment to the Bank of England where she worked on efforts to rescue Northern Rock bank. From 2011, she worked at the British embassy in Beijing as the economic and trade counsellor, playing a significant role in developing the United Kingdom’s economic relations with China.

Returning to the UK in 2015, Webb took on senior roles overseeing the country’s relationship with the European Union. She was the only woman among the senior Brexit negotiators, leading teams within the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Cabinet Office’s Europe Unit. In 2019, she rejoined the Treasury as director of operations and a member of its management board, directing non-policy functions including the department’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the establishment of the Darlington economic campus, a Treasury branch in northern England. Webb was honored as a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2020.

In 2023, she left the civil service to become bursar at Emmanuel College, tasked with reviewing and restructuring the college’s non-academic administration. Her work at Emmanuel earned her strong respect from faculty and staff alike.

Colleagues and friends remember Webb for her combination of intellect, technical expertise, kindness, and empathy. Beyond her professional achievements, she was noted for her warmth and ability to form lasting friendships. Webb was also an avid swimmer and traveler and took part in London’s Out to Swim club, an LGBTQ+ aquatic organization.

She is survived by her parents, Jane and David Webb, her sister Elizabeth, and nieces Alice and Emily.