​Professor David Grayson CBE Appointed Chair of Institute of Business Ethics

The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) is delighted to announce that Professor David Grayson has agreed to become Chair of the Trustees of the Institute of Business Ethics from 1^st April. He will succeed Edward Bickham who has served as IBE Chair since 2014 and as a Trustee since 2010.

Tim Melville-Ross, President of the IBE, welcomed the appointment: “I am delighted that David has agreed to be Chair; his in depth knowledge of business ethics, coupled with his passion for responsible business will be a great asset to the IBE. I would like to thank Edward Bickham for his support of the Institute as it has become the successful organisation it is today.”

Edward Bickham said: “It has been a privilege to lead the IBE’s Board for the last four years. During that period we have significantly grown our subscriber base and our range of activities. The IBE’s work is of crucial importance both in supporting individual companies to do the right thing and in advocating for ethical businesses. I am really glad that, after a rigorous selection process, David Grayson will lead the organisation through its next phase. I am sure he will do a great job”

David Grayson said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of trustees of IBE and to becoming the Chairman. Ethics is core to a sustainable business culture. I am looking forward to working with fellow trustees, executive colleagues and our subscribers and supporters to ensure that our messages and delivery are both timely and timeless; rigorous and relevant.”

ENDS/

For further information, contact Katherine Bradshaw, Head of Communications
k.bradshaw@ibe.org.uk 07771 517700

Editors' Notes

Professor David Grayson CBE

David is Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield School of Management. From 2007-2017, he was director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Professor of Corporate Responsibility.

He joined Cranfield in April 2007, after a thirty year career as a social entrepreneur and campaigner for responsible business, diversity, and small business development. This included founding Project North East which has now worked in nearly 60 countries around the world; being the founding CEO of the Prince's Youth Business Trust and serving as a managing-director of Business in the Community.

David has an Honorary Doctorate of Law from London South Bank University and was a visiting Senior Fellow at the CSR Initiative of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (2005-10).

He has served on various charity and public sector boards over the past 30 years. These have included the boards of the National Co-operative Development Agency, The Prince of Wales' Innovation Trust and the Strategic Rail Authority. He chaired the National Disability Council and the Business Link Accreditation Board; in each case appointed by the Major Government and re-appointed by the Blair administration.

He is currently chairman of the national charity Carers UK championing the role of 6.5million Britons caring for a loved one. He is a former chairman of one of the UK's larger social enterprises and largest eldercare providers, Housing & Care 21 during which the organisation made corporate history by becoming the first-ever not-for-profit successfully to acquire a publicly quoted group of companies. David received an OBE for services to industry in 1994 and a CBE for services to disability in 1999.

David has written a number of books on responsible business and corporate sustainability including most recently: ‘All in - The Future of Business Leadership’ with Chris Coulter and Mark Lee. He is part of the faculty of the Forward Institute and of the Circle of Advisers for Business Fights Poverty

The Guardian has named David as one of ten top global tweeters on sustainable leadership alongside Al Gore, Tim Cook - CEO of Apple, and Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg: @DavidGrayson_

www.DavidGrayson.net

The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE), whose purpose is to promote high standards of business behaviour based on ethical values, is an important partner to any business wanting to preserve its long-term reputation by doing business in the right way.

For over 30 years, the IBE has advised organisations on how to strengthen their ethical culture by sharing knowledge and good practice, resulting in relationships with employees and stakeholders that are based on trust.

The IBE is a registered charity funded by corporate and individual subscriptions.

www.ibe.org.uk @IBEUK