Digby Jones

Biographical Information
"In 2000 he joined the CBI and was able to put some of these ideas into action. During his six and a half years as Director General he became known in the public arena especially for his candid, forthright attitude in his many media appearances. He campaigned relentlessly on a range of issues including the move from traditional manufacturing of commodities to value-added, innovative products and services. He also lobbied against protectionism protesting that “it is a scourge which may well find short term popularity but inhibits growth, reduces wealth and oppresses the weak”... In 2005 he was knighted for his services to business and became Sir Digby Jones in the Queen’s New Years Honours List.

"When he left the CBI in 2006 he spent the next 12 months in the private sector as advisor to Deloitte and Barclays Capital, held a variety of non-executive board roles, and was the unpaid UK Skills Envoy. In this role he became outraged about the levels of adult illiteracy and innumeracy in the UK, and made the point that we cannot hope to have a safer and healthier society if people lack self-respect or aspiration.

"In July 2007 he was appointed Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment and became a life peer taking the title, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham Kt. Forthright and, as ever, loyal to British business he spent the next 15 months “doing it in a different way”. He did not join the party of government and without the ambition to progress in politics he concentrated on the business of promoting Britain across the world, travelling to 31 countries in 45 overseas visits.

"Now, in addition to his role as an active crossbencher in the House of Lords he serves as Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles Limited, Chairman of Grove Industries, a non-executive director of Flybe, Senior Advisor to HSBC and is Corporate Ambassador for Jaguar Cars and JCB. He is an Advisor to Babcock International Group plc and Chairman of the Emergency Services Advisory Board of Babcock International Group plc. "

"He is Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles Limited and Neutrino Concepts Limited. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Monitise plc and a Business Advisor to ISeeU Limited, Grove Investments Limited and Barberry Properties plc. He is a non executive director of Leicester Tigers Rugby Club plc. He is Ambassador to Microsoft's Britain Works Programme. He also serves as an unpaid Adviser to HRH The Duke of York in his capacity as Special Representative to UK Trade & Investment."

"Following his departure from the CBI he held a number of senior corporate advisory positions – Senior Advisor to the Executive of Deloitte; Senior Advisor to Barclays Capital; Corporate and Governmental Affairs Advisor to Ford of Europe and its Premier Automotive Group; Senior Advisor to JCB; Special Advisor to His Royal Highness the Duke of York in connection with his role as the UK Special Representative for International Trade & Investment; Senior Advisor to Computer Science Corporation inc., Member of the Advisory Board of Monitise Ltd; Member of the Advisory Board of Thales (UK) Ltd; Advisor to Hugh James, Solicitors, Cardiff and London, Advisor to Wragge & Co., Solicitors, Birmingham and London, Non-Executive Director of Alba plc, i-Clean Systems Ltd. and Leicester Tigers Rugby plc....

"Digby was Joint-Founder of Enterprise Insight (2000) now the Make-your-Mark Organisation, he served as a Commissioner for Racial Equality (2001 to 2007) and also served as an Ambassador for Investors in People (2004 - 2007), was President of the Diversity Works Initiative (2004 - 2007) – a programme led by the disability organisation, Scope. He was a Director of Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre (2004 – 2007). President of Heads, Teachers and Industry (2004-07), Deputy President of the Institute of Export (2005 - 2007) and Vice President of the Friends of the British Library (2005 - 2007). He was President of the Ambassadors for the West Midlands region (2004 - 2007) and Honorary President of Birmingham Forward (2006 - 2007), the professional services lobby group. He was an Ambassador to Microsoft’s Britain Works Programme (2009-2010) and an Honorary Fellow of UNICEF (2002 – 2012).

"Digby is a Corporate Ambassador for Cancer Research UK. He is a Diamond Ambassador for Mencap’s WorkRight initiative, designed to spread the message of equality for disabled people, a Vice-President of Birmingham Hospice, a Patron of the following - Lifecycle UK, the Campaign for Learning, Every Child a Reader, London Excellence, Marie Curie Cancer Care West Midlands Hospice Appeal and Just a Drop. He is Corporate Ambassador and member of the Royal British Legion and a member of the Aston Reinvestment Trust. He is a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Development Trust, a Trustee of Millennium Point, Birmingham, a Patron of F1 in Schools, a Patron of the Guernsey Community Foundation, a Patron of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the Industrial Trust, Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

"He is Vice President of the Birmingham Civic Society and a Guardian of the Birmingham Assay Office, a member of the Bromsgrove School Foundation Board, Chairman Kind Edward VI School Stratford Fundraising Initiative, Honorary Vice Patron of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, a member of The Reform Club, a member of the Yorkshire Society, a Freeman of the City of London and a member of the Japan Society.

"He is a member of the UK India Business Council Advisory Board and a member of the Major Projects All Party Group established to look at the challenges associated with major infrastructure projects across the UK. Digby was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Birmingham Law Society in 2001 and an Award recognising a Lifetime Contribution to Midlands Business by the Midlands Business Awards in 2009. He was Chairman of the London Board of Sportaccord (2010-2011).

"In 1998, as Chairman of the Birmingham Hospice Appeal, which raised £1.5 million, he personally raised £218,000 towards their target by cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 14 days. He ran the 2005 London Marathon in under six hours raising £191,000 for both Cancer Research UK and UNICEF.

"Lord Jones appears regularly on television, radio and in the newspapers, being known for his firm views on numerous aspects of life in a globalised economy. He is an active public speaker at events and engagements all over the world and was President of the Speakers Trust (2008-2009). He is also the Association of Speaker Clubs Speaker of the Year 2008. Digby won the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind and published his first book titled "Fixing Britain - the business of reshaping our nation" in 2011."

Affiliations

 * Director, Leicester Tigers
 * Ambassador, UpRising