| Investors in People UK, the public body responsible for the management and promotion of the Investors in People Standard, today announced the appointment of Philip Williamson as chairman. The appointment was made by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education and Skills. In addition, Roger Hoyle, Steve Kingan and Cyrus Todiwala MBE were appointed to the Investors in People board.
Mr Williamson, who is chief executive of Nationwide Building Society and President of the European Mortgage Federation, has had a distinguished career in the financial services industry. He replaces Tim Melville Ross, who has held the post since 1999.
Announcing the appointment Skills Minister Phil Hope said,
“I am pleased Philip Williamson has been appointed to the position of chairman of Investors in People. With his strong commitment to employee development and the continuous improvement of skills I am sure he will be a valuable addition to the Investors in People board.”
Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People UK, said,
“Philip Williamson brings a wealth of experience and skills and will be an outstanding leader and ambassador for Investors in People. I welcome the opportunity to work with him and to continue building on Investors in People’s achievements over the last 15 years.”
Commenting on his appointment, Philip Williamson said,
“I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to chair Investors in People and hope to build on the considerable success that has already been achieved under Tim Melville Ross and his team. I have a strong commitment to the Investors in People Standard, as witnessed by the fact that Nationwide has held the Standard since 1993 and is an Investors in People Champion.”
“I am passionate about the need for continual development of the UK’s workforce and look forward to promoting the Investors in People Standard and Profile tool across all types and sizes of organisations across the UK.”
Three new board members are also appointed: Roger Hoyle, formerly chief executive of Liverpool Health Authority, Steve Kingan, chairman and chief executive of directory services company Nexor Ltd, and Cyrus Todiwala, a celebrated chef and the proprietor of the Café Spice Namasté restaurant group. Mr Williamson's appointment will be for three years from 1 June 2006 and Mr Hoyle, Mr Kingan and Professor Todiwala's appointments are all three years from 1 December 2005.
Notes to Editors
Philip Williamson has been chief executive of Nationwide, the world’s largest Building Society, since January 2002. He joined the company in 1991 and was appointed to the board four years later, holding the posts of marketing & commercial director and retail operations director. He previously worked for Lloyds Bank and UK Land plc. Philip is a former chairman of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, and current chairman of the Building Societies Association, President of the European Mortgage Federation and Chairman of The Corporate Forum for International Service. He holds a degree in Economics from Newcastle University.
Roger Hoyle worked as a senior manager in the NHS for over 30 years, latterly as chief executive of the Liverpool Health Authority between 1994 and 2002. He currently chairs the Learning and Skills Council Merseyside and is a board member at the Liverpool Personal Services Society. Roger is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Audit Commission and serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.
Steve Kingan has had a 30 year career in IT development and consultancy. Currently chairman and chief executive of Nexor Ltd, which specialises in messaging and directory systems and services, he was previously managing director at Control-C and director at the Phoenix Services Group. Steve is a chartered director at the Institute of Directors and a member of the Institute of Risk Management.
Cyrus Todiwala MBE is proprietor and executive chef at the Café Spice Namasté restaurant group. Highly acclaimed for his unique style, he has received a number of awards, including Best Indian Chef in the UK and a Culinary Honour of Merit from the Wold Chef Society. A champion of raising standards through staff training and education, Cyrus’s contributions have been recognised with an honorary Professorship from Thames Valley University. Café Spice Namasté has held the Investors in People Standard for a number of years and recently became an Investors in People Champion organisation.
The post of Chair is a part-time appointment of one day per week for which travel expenses and subsistence allowances are paid for Company business.
The Board member posts are part-time appointments of one day per month for which travel expenses and subsistence allowances are paid for Company business.
The appointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any) to be made public. Mr Williamson, Mr Hoyle, Mr Kingan and Professor Todiwala have declared no political activity in the last five years.
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