We are delighted and privileged to have the benefit of a distinguished group of prominent members of the business community and public life on the campaign Board. Each brings a wealth of experience and expertise, together with professional and personal connections and networks, to ensure that the Campaign continues to grow as a leading national and international initiative.
Sir Donald Cruickshank
Dr Cruickshank is a member of Court of the University of Aberdeen and Chairman of its Governance Committee. He is a director of Qualcomm Inc.
He has had a varied career, notably as Chairman of the London Stock Exchange plc, Chairman of SMG plc, Director General of Telecommunications and Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland. Since 2003 he has chaired a number of public and private equity backed companies, including Taylor & Francis plc and Clinovia Group Ltd.
Earlier in his career he was a consultant with McKinsey Inc, Commercial Director of Times Newspapers and General Manager of the Sunday Times, Managing Director of the Information and Entertainment Division of Pearson plc, and Chairman of Wandsworth Health Authority. He was knighted in 2006.
Willie Watt
Chief Executive Officer, Martin Currie Investment Management
After graduating from Aberdeen University, Willie worked with the venture capital 3i Group plc for 16 years, becoming managing director of 3i's business in Scotland and Ireland in 1995.
He was a member of the company's UK management group and a major contributor to 3i's success. Willie joined Edinburgh-based Martin Currie in 2001, a specialist investment management business managing £9.8 billion in active equity portfolios for clients across Europe, North America and the world.
Willie is leading the company's development as a specialist investment manager and promoting the advantages of Martin Currie as a ‘big boutique’, blending the best attributes of a major international player with the distinctiveness and client focus that comes from its entrepreneurial culture.
Sir Moir Lockhead OBE
Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, FirstGroup plc
Sir Moir Lockhead left school at 15 and started work as an apprentice mechanic. He worked for a short period as a Management Trainee with the Tarmac Group and in 1979, at the age of 34, he became Chief Engineer of Strathclyde, covering the whole of the Greater Glasgow area and responsible for both an underground network and more than 1,000 buses. He was the youngest engineer in the sector to hold such a prestigious post.
In 1985 he joined Grampian Regional Transport as General Manager. He led a successful employee/management buy-out of the company in 1989 and the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. In the following year, the Company merged and created "First" when he became Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive.
FirstGroup plc is now the world's leading transport group with annualised revenues of over £6 billion a year. The company employs approximately 136,000 staff throughout the UK and North America and moves some 2.5 billion passengers a year. FirstGroup has grown to become the UK's largest bus and rail operator and the largest surface transport operator in North America, running approximately 60,000 school buses and the iconic Greyhound – the only national provider of intercity bus services.
Sir Moir was Chairman of Scottish Enterprise Grampian from 1998 to 2001, having been a Non-Executive Director since 1993. In 1996 he was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2000 he received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and in June 2004 he was awarded an Honorary Chair in the Department of Geography and Environment, College of Physical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, of which he is also a Court Member. Sir Moir is a Board member of VisitBritain. In 2007 he was named Scotland plc Chief Executive of the Year and also received the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport's most prestigious award, the Sir Robert Lawrence Award, for his contribution to logistics and transport.
In 2008 Sir Moir was awarded a Knighthood for services to transport in the Queen's Birthday Honours List and was named IoD Scotland Director of the Year. In 2009 he was again an award winner at the IoD Scotland Awards, being named Global Director of the Year.
Sir Moir Lockhead was born on 25/4/45 and is married with four children. His hobbies include farming and breeding Highland and Aberdeen Angus cattle
Anthony Hilton
City Editor, Evening Standard
After graduating from Aberdeen, Tony joined Fleet Street in 1968 as a trainee on The Guardian. Following stints as City Editor of The Times 1981-1983, and the Evening Standard 1984-1989 Tony was the Standard's Managing Director for six years before returning to the City Office as Editor in 1996.
Tony has also worked for the Observer, Daily Mail and Sunday Express and from 1974-79 edited Accountancy Age. He worked in New York for three years as Business Correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times.
Television work includes Channel 4's Business Programme, and The Stocks and Shares Show. Tony has written two books, How to Communicate Financial Information to Employees, and City Within a State - A Study of How the City of London Really Works, and has been a director of London Forum, St John's Ambulance National Fundraising Appeal, a vice president of the Children's Film Unit, and a member of the Stock Exchange Committee on Private Share Ownership. He received the Wincott Prize for business journalism in 2003 and was short-listed in the 2004 British Press Awards.
William E Whitehorn
President, Virgin Galactic
As a senior member of management of the Virgin Group, Will Whitehorn has been variously described as Richard Branson's ‘no 2’. He was educated in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and following graduation from the University of Aberdeen in 1981, Will served a sabbatical year as President of the Student Union.
Will began his career with British International Helicopters before moving to British Airways and then to Thomas Cook. He was recruited to Virgin by the then Managing Director of Virgin, Donald Cruickshank, and was engaged, initially, to boost the image of the Virgin Group in the City. He is a director of several Virgin Companies including Virgin Rail.
Rosemary Forsyth
Founding and General Partner, Forsyth Group Executive Search
Rosemary, who graduated from Aberdeen in psychology followed by a Masters in psychology and literature, is the General Partner of the Forsyth Group, the executive search company she founded in 1981.
Recognising the importance and potential growth of Information Technology within business, the Forsyth Group was the first executive search consultancy to focus exclusively on the emerging technology sector in Europe.
During the 25 years since founding the company, Rosemary has developed extensive search experience across all technology sectors and conducts “C” and Board level assignments for technology companies in Europe, Israel and the United States.
The Forsyth Group opened its Californian office in 2004 to extend the company's trans-Atlantic search capabilities and strengthen its position in Silicon Valley. Prior to founding the company, Rosemary was Divisional Managing Director of an international executive search firm. Rosemary has also been a key contributor and advisor to the investment community in relation to the establishment of their corporate pre- and- post IPO infrastructure. Rosemary is presently an Advisory Board member of InnovateEurope!
Stephen Carter, CBE
Minister for Technology, Communications and Broadcasting
Stephen A. Carter is the Minister for Communications, Technology & Broadcasting, and a member of the Prime Minister's National Economic Council.
Previously Stephen was the Group Chief Executive of Brunswick Group LLP, and prior to that he was the founding Chief Executive of Ofcom – 2003 / 2007 (the Communications Regulator), Managing Director of NTL UK & Ireland – 2000 / 2003, and Managing Director & Chief Executive of J. Walter Thompson UK Limited – 1992 / 2000.
He is a law graduate from Aberdeen University, and also completed the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Programme (A.M.P.152) in 1997. He is a Past Chairman of the Marketing Group of Great Britain, and has served on the Board of a number of companies, Travis Perkins plc, Trucost plc and Royal Mail Holdings plc. Currently he is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Ashridge Business School, a Vice President of UNICEF UK, and a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Stephen was awarded a CBE in the 2006 Honours list for services to the Communications Industry, and was made a Life Peer on his appointment as a Government Minister.
Dr John P Sievwright
John Sievwright is non executive director of ICAP Plc, one of the world's premier interdealers and providers of post trade services. He is currently also a non executive director of FirstGroup plc, a leading international transport operater with headquarters in Aberdeen.
He was most recently Chief Operating Officer, International, for Merril Lynch based in New York, Tokyo and London. Prior to that he held a number of senior positions at Merril Lynch including Chief Operating Officer, Global Markets and Investment Banking, Head of Global Futures and Options and Chief Administrative Officer for the Debt Markets and Global Equity Derivatives Division. He began his career at Earnst & Young, Bank of Tokyo International and Bankers Trust Company.
Dr Sievwright also plays an active role in non profit organisations and sits on the North American Board of University College Dublin, is Treasurer of the UADT USA, and is fund raising co-chair of Robert Gordon's College.
Mark McCombe
Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Global Asset Management Ltd
Mark McCombe was appointed CEO of HSBC Global Asset Management Ltd in April 2007. In March 2008, he assumed responsibility for Alternative Fund Management, including Private Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure as well as HSBC's own Principal Investment activities. In May 2008, he was appointed Group General Manager.
Mark has had a 20-year international career at HSBC, with the exception of the period between 1990 and 1992, when he worked for Wells Fargo Bank in California. From 1993, Mark worked in Hong Kong, first in a Strategic Planning role, and latterly, he assumed responsibility for Property and Construction financing for some of Hong Kong's largest companies.
In 1998, Mark relocated to Paris, where he became CEO of HSBC Private Bank (France) S.A. after the acquisition of Republic National Bank of New York. In 2001, Mark was also appointed as Director of HSBC Asset Management (Europe). In 2003, Mark assumed a new position as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Turkey. HSBC is the largest wholly owned foreign bank operating in Turkey, with over 200 branches and 6,000 employees.
In 2005, Mark relocated to the UK where he was appointed CEO HSBC Private Bank UK, Channel Islands and Luxembourg. His tenure in this role was relatively short-lived when in April 2007 he assumed global responsibility for HSBC Global Asset Management Ltd. This business encompasses all of HSBC asset management capabilities, including its specialist fund management arms; Halbis, Sinopia, Multimanager and Liquidity. As of June 2008, HSBC Global Asset Management Ltd managed $392 billion of assets.
Mark is married with three children. He received his MA degree from Aberdeen University and also attended Wharton Business School. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list in 2006.
Stephen Robertson
Founding Partner, TDR Capital LLP
Stephen Robertson is one of two founding partners of TDR Capital, a London based Private Equity firm.
Stephen has over 15 years of private equity, mezzanine and leveraged finance experience. Prior to founding TDR Capital in 2002, Stephen was a Partner at DB Capital Partners Europe. He was on the board of CenterParcs until its exit in December 2004, and on the board of Pizza Express.
Stephen obtained a masters degree in Economics from Aberdeen University in 1982.
Jill Telford
CEO, Synovate UK
After graduating from Aberdeen University in 1985, Jill began her career in London in marketing research agencies. From 1992 until the end of 2008, she worked in Hong Kong and Japan, joining leading global market research company Synovate (then called AMI) when it was in its infancy. She built a reputation for expertise in luxury brand and financial services research. She became the Managing Director of Synovate Hong Kong in 1999 and CEO of Synovate North Asia in 2007. While in Hong Kong, she also headed up two marketing research societies.
In January 2009, Jill moved to London to take on the role of CEO of Synovate UK. The company is one of the world's leading, most innovative market research companies, with offices in 61 countries. Jill has responsibility for raising the profile of Synovate in the UK and bringing the different parts of the business in the UK together to offer clients an integrated research offer. She strongly believes that success lies in building and motivating the right teams, particularly in such a people oriented business as market research. With her international network, she draws on expertise, cultural insights and best practice from around the world to benefit the UK business.
Alasdair Locke
Executive Chairman, Abbot Group Ltd
Alasdair Locke is Executive Chairman of Abbot Group Ltd. Born in Aldershot in 1953, he was educated at Uppingham School and Wadham College, Oxford where he studied History and Economics. He began his career in banking and finance in 1974, always interested in the oil and gas and shipping industries he moved to Singapore in 1982 and started his first business which was subsequently sold.
In 1987 he became Chairman of Kelt Energy Plc and founded Abbot Group in 1990. Abbot Group was floated on the stock market in 1995. In 2001 it bought one of the biggest names in the oil industry, Deutag for £134m and combined with Abbots own drilling division, KCA. In 2007, Abbot Group was sold to FirstReserve Group. Alasdair is also Chairman of Mecom, Northern Ireland Energy Holdings and First Property Group.
Mr Locke was a Director of Gordonstoun from 2003-2004, he won Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999 and International Business Achievement Award at the Scottish Business Achievement Awards in 2000 and was Grampian Industrialist of the year in 2001. He owns Glenrinnes Fames in Dufftown, Moray and is a Beef Shorthorn breeder.
International Advisors
Dr Marshall Byres (Scholarships and Sports)
Marshall H Byres, now retired, was the Chief Operating Officer for the Ernst & Young Group in China. A resident of Hong Kong for more than 25 years he has dealt with a wide range of international and multinational clients engaged in virtually every aspect of business and commerce. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1973 with a mathematics degree. He also has a postgraduate Diploma in Offshore Engineering from Robert Gordon University. Dr Byres is a member of the business network organisation, Global Scot, and past Chieftain of the St Andrews Society in Hong Kong. He has been President of the Hong Kong Club, and has been involved with the Aberdeen University Hong Kong Association (AUHKA) for many years, and continues as its President. Marshall is an ambassador for the University's project to create a major sporting centre of excellence in Aberdeen.
Michael J Moir (Library)
In 2003, after career of over 30 years in various sectors of the property industry in UK and Hong Kong, Michael Moir formed Inverleith Property Services to provide development consultancy, management consultancy and other property related services to property investment and development companies. He also holds non-executive directorships of several private equity property funds. Before setting up Inverleith he was Managing Director of PCCW Infrastructure, the property arm of the Pacific Century Group, which includes Hong Kong's largest telecommunications company. Prior to 1999 he was a Director and General Manager of Swire Properties, one of Hong Kong's largest property companies, and was responsible for acquisitions, disposals, valuations, planning and development of the company's extensive property investment and development portfolios. On graduation from the University of Aberdeen he joined Ove Arup and Partners and spent nine years in consulting engineering work on a variety of projects in UK and Hong Kong. He became a Chartered Engineer in 1977 and a Chartered Surveyor in 1989. He is a member of the Court of the University of Aberdeen and Convenor of its Capital Expenditure Sub-Committee. He is a member of the RICS Scotland Planning & Development Faculty Board.
Dr C H Leong
For over two decades C H Leung has been an influential figure in all areas of medicine in Hong Kong and in the development of Hong Kong's health services. Dr Leong was involved in the preparation and setting up of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and subsequenlty became its Chairman. He has served as President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. His influence is reflected in the offices held both in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the mainland of the People's Republic of China. As a member of the Legislative Council, representing the ‘medical constituency’, he played an influential role in the transition of the profession to Chinese sovereignty. He is currently a member of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, the Chairman of the Elderly Commission of the HKSAR and a member of the University of Hing Kong Council.
Simon Reid-Kay
Partner, Allen & Overy, Solictors
After graduating from the University of Aberdeen (LLB) and completing his Diploma in Legal Practice in its inaugural year (1981) Simon completed his legal training and was an associate solicitor with Maclay Murray and Spens in Edinburgh and then in Glasgow. He is admitted as a solicitor in Scotland, and in Hong Kong, as well as England and Wales. Simon has been resident in Hong Kong since 1985, and after 14 years with Linklaters, joined Allen & Overy solicitors as a partner in 2001, where he is Head of the Asia Real Estate Group. Simon has lectured at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and sits on the panel of examiners of the Law Society of Hong Kong (Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination). He is a member of the Hong Kong American Chamber of Commerce Real Estate Committee Executive.
Development Office support
Lori Manders
Director of Development and External Affairs
Support for the Sixth Century Board and International Advisors is led by Lori Manders and provided by the University?s Development Office. Lori joined the University of Aberdeen in 1998 as Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions. In December 2001 the University created its first ever Directorate of Marketing to support its academic ambitions. As Director, Lori was responsible for the effective leadership, vision and strategic management of the University's marketing effort. Building on the success of the Directorate, in 2003 the University combined all its externally focused activity, including the Sixth Century Campaign, into the Office of External Affairs, which Lori has led since its inception. The Office covers student recruitment and admissions, communications, marketing, events, political relations, alumni relations and development.
For information about the Sixth Century Campaign, Campaign Board Members or International Advisors contact:
Hayley Moncur
h.moncur@abdn.ac.uk
tel +44 (0)1224 273178