Michael Pragnell

Biographical Information
Michael Pragnell was appointed a Trustee of Cancer Research UK "in March 2010 and Chairman in November 2010. He is a member of all Council Committees, except the Audit Committee, which he attends at the invitation of the committee chairman, and chairs the Chairman’s Committee, the Nomination and Governance Committee and the Remuneration Committee. He is currently a Director of Cancer Research Technology, a non-executive director of VINCI SA, Europe’s largest construction company and a member of the board of INSEAD. He was the founder Chief Executive Officer of Syngenta AG based in Switzerland from its public listing in 2000 until his retirement at the end of 2007; he was Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the Board. He led the creation of Syngenta to become world leader in crop protection following the merger of the agrochemicals and plant bio-science businesses of AstraZeneca and Novartis. He was previously an Executive Director of AstraZeneca plc as CEO Crop Protection having joined Zeneca plc in 1995. He was a member of the supervisory board of the Anglo-Dutch joint-venture Advanta BV and a non-executive Director of David S Smith plc from 1996 to 2000. From1975 to 1995 he worked for Courtaulds plc and was appointed to the Board as CEO Courtaulds Coatings in 1990; he became Chief Financial Officer in 1992."