Downing Alumnus/Alumna of the Year 2023

The Downing Alumnus/Alumna of the Year 2023 awards was launched to recognise the outstanding achievements of our alumni community and the variety of ways in which you are making an impact in your professional and personal lives.

We were delighted with the response we received. The calibre of entries was very high and our judging panel had a tough task picking our winners. You can read more about our shortlisted candidates here.

Congratulations to Stephen Mannion (1983) and James Moore (2002) who have been named as the first winners.

Stephen Mannion, 1983, Medicine

Stephen Mannion is an orthopaedic surgeon, pioneer in effective treatment for club foot and a Royal Navy and Royal Marine Reservist of 40 Years.  He combines his pioneering clinical and teaching work in the UK with leading humanitarian surgical missions to conflict zones including Rwanda, Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.  Recently he has been deployed to Ukraine to assess and train local clinicians and as Clinical Director for the UK Government response team to help those living in the earthquake zone in Turkey/Syria. 

In the words of his nominator; “He has repeatedly stepped away from the orthodox; he has committed to investigating, changing and developing medical procedure; he has practiced in the poorest corners and most dangerous situations; he has maintained his surgical skill at the top of the profession; he has freely shared his time and knowledge and through all this led in practice and by example.”

Commenting on his award, Steve said; “My medical and humanitarian vocation owes so much to my time at Downing. Dr Martin Mays first offering me a conditional offer to study Natural Sciences, Professor Barry Everitt approving the transfer of an academically mediocre natural scientist to the Medical Sciences Tripos and then the inspirational teaching of Downing Fellows including Philip Rubery, Margaret Stanley and Professor Everitt.

However, Downing was so much more than just academia; lifelong friendships were made and the leadership skills forged in the gymnasium at Fenners, on the river and on the playing fields of Lensfield Road have proved invaluable when leading relief teams in challenging situations such as the Rwandan genocide, the war in Ukraine and the earthquake in Turkey. With so many Downing alumni going on to distinguished careers and making exceptional contributions in their respective fields the award of “Alumnus of the Year” is a truly great honour and privilege.”

James Moore (2002), Computer Science

James embraced all that College had to offer, serving as Treasurer to the College Bar, Head of the May Ball Committee and working as a student caller, all whilst achieving Scholar’s Awards and a first class degree.

His meteoric career saw him rise from software developer to Chief Technology Officer and Board Member at Redgate Software within 8 years.  He went on to co-found another company, Flex Legal Ltd and sits on several company boards. At the same time, he devised a training programme for graduates from less traditional backgrounds which leads to roles in FTSE 100 companies including BMW, Vodafone and Unilever.  Alongside his business and social entrepreneurship activities, James volunteers in his spare time as a Samaritan.  

"I am absolutely thrilled to have been recognised by Downing as Young Alumni of the Year. To be recognised by the college is a real honour. The college holds really special memories for me, it does an incredible job of giving students opportunities to take on real responsibility and run parts of the college be that through the JCR or in my case being part of the bar committee which helped build skills I still use today.

"It's really lovely to be back in college to receive this award and to hear about all the exciting things the college has planned for the future." James Moore.