Jonathan Phillips

Doctor of Letters

Wednesday 15 July 2026 - Orator: Andrew Monk

Vice-Chancellor, esteemed colleagues, graduands,

Today is a celebration of what we hope will be a lifelong connection to Bristol – something which is certainly true for Jonathan Phillips. To say that Jon’s life is intertwined with the City and University of Bristol is an understatement, it is hard to imagine anyone who has demonstrated such an indelible link with their alma mater.

Jon’s Bristol connection started in 1991 when, as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fresher he arrived at Bristol to read Geology – a subject for which he maintains a true passion. Encouraged by his grandmother thanks to her familial roots in Bristol, it was his absolute destination of choice. He certainly enjoyed settling into university life – some might say possibly a little too much – and it was following some rather direct feedback after the end of first term exams that Jon really found his academic focus. Towards the end of his first year, Jon made a commitment to himself – to maximise his time at Bristol and throw himself into new experiences. He found a thriving community within the Students Union, becoming a member of numerous clubs and particularly media groups – including founding the student radio station Fresh FM. He also discovered a love for running an election campaign – showing early promise in marketing – ultimately becoming a full-time sabbatical officer on graduation for a year, as General Secretary.

When I spoke to Jon, he explained how the key skills learnt from his Geology degree translated perfectly into his working life – the need to interrogate data, to investigate, to join dots – all that fostered by his natural curiosity. After a couple of early roles, he joined Coca-Cola in 1996 in sales. Applying that early curiosity at a time when people were just first being issued with email addresses, Jon saw a gap in tracking the effectiveness of the relationships he was managing and so set about teaching himself coding and built his own customer relationship management database – just for him to use. This was quickly recognised by his boss, rolled out to others and set him on a trajectory which showed that he was a natural problem solver, innovator and leader. Nearly a 20-year career with Coca-Cola saw him take on wider and more fascinating roles based across Europe and the USA – although curiously Bristol remained home throughout! Following this blue-chip success, Jon has gone on to found a number of companies and most notably has led Lithos Partners, a leading boutique digital communications consultancy, with clients including NATO, HM Treasury, AWS, HSBC and National Trust.

But, what of those Bristol ties which I mentioned earlier? Well first, we only need to look to Jon’s wonderful family. Jon’s wife, Hazel, also a Bristol alumna, is a key part of his roots to the city. Despite living in the same building in Clifton as students, it wasn’t until they met through mutual (Bristol!) friends once they had graduated that they found each other. More than 25 years later, following marriage and the arrival of two amazing daughters – Clara and Bea – the Bristol connection is one for the whole family. Despite working around the world, the family have always called Bristol home, having lived just near the Downs for more than twenty years.

But it is not just the geographic proximity which links Jon so closely with our city, it is the fact that he has been a driving force and a volunteer time and time again. Within the wider city, he’s been a trustee for remarkable causes like The Rainbow Centre. Though it is his volunteer roles within the University itself which demonstrate his lifelong passion for the University of Bristol.

In 2008 Jon’s beloved Students’ Union was at a juncture. Its governance was changing, and for the first time it needed to appoint an independent trustee body. Jon immediately stepped forward, joining and chairing the trustee board, helping to shape the new ways of working and building the SU into the powerhouse for student voice that it is today. With a real passion for championing the student perspective and empowerment, I have spoken to numerous graduates who reflect so warmly on the advice, guidance and kindness shown by Jon.

Then in 2018, once again the University was evolving, and plans were formed to establish a new Alumni Association Committee. Once again, Jon stepped forward becoming the inaugural Chair for the AAC, serving the maximum possible two terms. During this time Jon championed the role of alumni, encouraging volunteering and connecting today’s students with graduates. Over his tenure, we saw volunteering double from around 1,000 to more than 2,000 active volunteers.

Jon is not only an expert in his field but has demonstrated time and again his deep-rooted commitment to helping shape the University over a more than 35-year relationship.

Vice-Chancellor, I present to you Jonathan Mark Phillips as eminently worthy of the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa.