... initiatives which focused on developing closer relationships between ‘Government and Business’ and ‘Business and Education’. After leaving the CBI, he was Director/Chairman of a wide cross-section of companies, including: National Power, National Westminster Bank, Westcountry Television, and Labatt Breweries. At Tarmac, Whitbread, Kingfisher and Geest he created significant shareholder value. He led the Audit Commission and the Local Government Commission for England and saved the taxpayer well over £1 billion a year.

Sir John started his career in the Foreign Office in 1962 after gaining a first class Honours Degree in Natural Sciences and in 1964 spent a year with J Walter Thompson, learning marketing and from there moved to Reed International, where he went on to become Director of Marketing for the Wallcovering Division of the Group.

In 1969 he joined the management consultants, McKinsey & Co., becoming a Principal in 1975 and the youngest ever British Director in 1980. During this period he gained wide industrial experience in the UK, the United States and Europe. He was directly responsible for major consultancy assignments with a variety of leading UK companies in engineering, aviation, food processing, mineral extraction and other manufacturing and service groups at critical stages in their development.

Sir John was the first Controller (Chief Executive) of the Audit Commission when it was established in 1983, set up to monitor efficiency and seek better value for money in local government. Under Sir John’s leadership it identified improvements worth over £2 billion a year and launched a range of reforms now being implemented in local government finance, the management of secondary schools, Council housing and community care. He held that position until 1987, when he left to become the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry.

On leaving the CBI in 1992, he took up the position of Chairman of the Local Government Commission for England which he held until his departure in March 1995 when the Secretary of State for the Environment announced his intention to reform the Commission since its review of the counties in Shire England had now been largely completed.

In addition to his Chairmanships, Sir John is Director of Merchants Trust Plc and a Non-Executive Director of National Westminster Bank Plc and National Power Plc. He serves as Chairman of the Remuneration Committees for National Westminster Bank Plc and National Power and Kingfisher Plc.

Sir John is a Managing Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation and Honorary Treasurer and Member of the Council of the Cancer Research Campaign. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Bath (1987) and an Honorary Doctor of the Science degree from the University of Exeter, as well as being an Honorary Fellow of his old college, Queens College, Cambridge. Sir John became the first Fellow of Cornwall College when it became independent in 1993.

Sir John has written numerous publications including ‘The Future of the British Car Industry’ (1975), ‘Realising the Promise of a National Health Service’ (1977), together with a number of reports for the Audit Commission on education, housing, social services and local government finance (1984-87). He has also co-authored many reports for the CBI on the UK economy, skills and education, transport, the infrastructure, urban regeneration, manufacturing (1987-92) and local government. In addition, Sir John Banham is the author of ‘The Anatomy of Change: Blueprint for a New Era’ (1994).

Sir John Banham was knighted in 1992, was born in Torquay and lives in West Cornwall. His recreations include country walking, classical music, gardening and writing all of which he very much enjoys when not working or engaged in his other successful sideline of after-dinner and conference speaking events.

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