Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
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New Chair appointed for the Economic and Social Research Council
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Lord Mandelson, today announced the appointment of Dr Alan Gillespie CBE as the new Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Lord Mandelson said:
"I am very pleased to appoint Alan Gillespie as Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council. His experience across business, government and academia will contribute greatly to its leadership and strategic direction.
"The ESRC has a key role to play in meeting some of the big challenges our country faces - as a funder of both excellent and relevant social science research and high quality postgraduate training".
Dr Gillespie said:
"This is a critical time to become involved with the ESRC. The cost of recession, both in financial and human terms, is huge. The UK social science research community must ask and answer the profound questions which can influence future policy in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
"I look forward to working with the Council and management at the ESRC in setting the agenda for policy-relevant research over the coming years."
Dr Gillespie has succeeded Lord Adair Turner. The appointment is for four years.
Notes for Editors
1. The appointment has been made in accordance with the requirements of the Code of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and after consideration of a report of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee who held a pre-appointment hearing on Tuesday 5 May.
2. Dr Gillespie has not been involved in any relevant political activities in the last five years. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the Nolan recommendations there is a requirement for appointees' political activity to be made public. He holds no other Ministerial appointments. As Chair of ESRC he will receive an honorarium of £16,180 pa.
3. Alan Gillespie was born in Northern Ireland and educated at the University of Cambridge where he gained his BA, MA and PhD. His Doctoral thesis was entitled "Growth Centres and regional economic development in Northern Ireland". His banking career began at Citibank in 1976 before working for Goldman Sacs & Co from 1986 to 1999 as Partner and Managing Director. From 2001 to 2008 he was Chairman of the Ulster Bank Group and in 2008 he was appointed Chairman of Alliance & Leicester plc, until the takeover by Banco Santander. Dr Gillespie was also a Non-Executive Director of Elan Corporation plc, 1996-2006 and is currently Senior Independent Director of United Business Media plc. In the public sector, he has been Chairman of the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board (1996-2001), Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Development Corporation (1999-2002) and Chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (2005 to present).
4. Dr Gillespie was a member of the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute of Management Studies at the University of Cambridge and is currently Patron of the Queen's University of Belfast Foundation. He has received Honorary Degrees from the Queen's University of Belfast and the University of Ulster for services to the Northern Ireland economy. In 2008, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge.
5. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2009/10 is £204 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk
6. For media enquiries, contact Matt Barker in the BIS press office on 0203 300 8126, or Danielle Moore in the ESRC press office on 01793 413122.
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