Digby Jones
Encyclopedia
Digby Marritt Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Kt (born 28 October 1955) is a British
businessman and politician
, who has served as Director General of the CBI
(2000–06) and Minister of State for Trade and Investment
(2007–08). He is currently a Business Ambassador at UK Trade & Investment
and from 2009, Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles
(Hinckley) Limited.
He also serves as Chairman of the International Business Advisory Boards of HSBC and British Airways
and is a Corporate Ambassador for Jaguar Cars and Corporate Advisor to JCB, Advisor to Harvey Nash Group plc, Babcock International Group plc
and Advisor to Grove Industries Limited and Barberry Properties plc. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Monitise Group plc and Chairman of Neutrino Concepts Ltd.
, Jones was educated at Bromsgrove School
where he was Head Boy
, and read Law
at University College London
under a University Cadetship from the Royal Navy
, graduating with upper second class honours.
Regional Council and became the first serving regional Chairman to be appointed Director-General
. He was Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry
(CBI) between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2006. He was knighted
in 2005. He then went on to act as an advisor to Barclays Capital
, Ford, Deloitte and JCB
. He served as the unpaid UK Skills Envoy from 2006-07.
Jones acted as a non-executive director
for the IT contractor iSoft
from 2000 until his resignation in July 2005, when he stayed on for one year as an advisor. Following the collapse in the value of iSoft and investigations into its accountancy
practices, Jones said "There is a limit to what a non-executive can know... They have to rely on what advisers tell them and what the executive team tells them. It is important that people understand this."
in both the newly-created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
and the Foreign Office
. He was appointed as a Government Minister in a move to create a government "of all talents". It was announced he was taking the Labour
whip in the House of Lords
but did not join the Labour Party. On 10 July 2007 he was created a life peer
as Baron Jones of Birmingham, of Alvechurch
and of Bromsgrove
in the County of Worcestershire
, and took his seat in the House of Lords
that same day. He styles himself Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.
Jones had considered running for Mayor of London
after being encouraged by a group of prominent businessmen. He was also approached by the Conservative Party
about becoming their official candidate, but soon rejected their proposal.
In April 2008 Lord Jones announced his intention to resign as Minister of Trade and Investment later in the year. He resigned in October 2008 and was appointed to be a UK Business Ambassador for UK Trade & Investment. In testimony to the Public Administration Committee he said that his time as a junior minister was "one of the most dehumanising and depersonalising experiences" anyone could have, and that he had been amazed by how many civil servants he thought deserved the sack.
On 16 January 2009, in a subsequent blog entry on the Daily Telegraph's blogsite, Lord Jones was described as "the walking personification of the spirit of big business at its corporatist worst".
Corporate Ambassadors. He is also a Fellow of UNICEF. He is President of the Diversity Works initiative - a programme led by the disability organisation Scope, a Diamond Ambassador for Mencap
's WorkRight initiative, designed to spread the message of equality for disabled people, a Vice-President of Birmingham Hospice, and a Patron of Lifecycle UK, Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer and Get A-Head, the cancer charity fighting head and neck diseases.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library
, a charity which provides funding support to the British Library
.
He is a Non Executive Director of Leicester Tigers Rugby plc. He is a Vice President of The Birmingham Civic Society
and President of the Speakers Trust, and was their Speaker of the Year in 2008.
In November 2006, Jones was appointed "Business Adviser" to The Duke of York
, receiving £1,000 a month from the royal payroll for working one day a month. This position ended upon his appointment as a Minister in July 2007. He is now an advisor to the Duke in relation to his work with UK Trade & Investment
, but on an unpaid basis.
(2004); an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
(2004); and an Honorary Doctor of the University of Central England
(2002), the University of Birmingham
(2002), the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (2003), the University of Hertfordshire
(2004), Middlesex University
(2005), Sheffield Hallam University
(2005), Aston University
(2006), the University of Hull
(2006), Queen's University, Belfast (2006), Warwick University (2006), Bradford University (2006), Wolverhampton University (2006), Nottingham University and Loughborough University
(2007). He is a visiting professor at the University of Hull
Business School and Chairman of the Birmingham Business School International Advisory Board.
's Desert Island Discs
, broadcast on 21 May 2006.
He won BBC1's Celebrity Mastermind with a 9 point margin finishing on 33 points on 5 January 2011.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
businessman and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who has served as Director General of the CBI
Confederation of British Industry
The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
(2000–06) and Minister of State for Trade and Investment
Minister of State for Trade
The Minister of State for Trade is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
(2007–08). He is currently a Business Ambassador at UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment is a UK Government department working with businesses based in the United Kingdom to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice ....
and from 2009, Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles
Triumph Motorcycles
Triumph Engineering Co Ltd was a British motorcycle manufacturing company, based originally in Coventry and then in Solihull at Meriden. A new company, Triumph Motorcycles Ltd based in Hinckley gained the name rights after the end of the company in the 1980s and is now one of the world's major...
(Hinckley) Limited.
He also serves as Chairman of the International Business Advisory Boards of HSBC and British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
and is a Corporate Ambassador for Jaguar Cars and Corporate Advisor to JCB, Advisor to Harvey Nash Group plc, Babcock International Group plc
Babcock International Group
Babcock International Group plc is a British-based support services company specialising in managing complex assets and infrastructure in safety-critical and mission-critical environments. Although the company has civil contracts, its main business is with public bodies, particularly the UK...
and Advisor to Grove Industries Limited and Barberry Properties plc. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Monitise Group plc and Chairman of Neutrino Concepts Ltd.
Education
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Jones was educated at Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School, founded in 1553, is a co-educational independent school in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, England. The school has a long history and many notable former pupils.-History:...
where he was Head Boy
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
, and read Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
under a University Cadetship from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, graduating with upper second class honours.
At the CBI
Jones was Chairman of the CBI's West MidlandsWest Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
Regional Council and became the first serving regional Chairman to be appointed Director-General
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
. He was Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry
Confederation of British Industry
The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
(CBI) between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2006. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 2005. He then went on to act as an advisor to Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
, Ford, Deloitte and JCB
J. C. Bamford
JCB is a global construction, demolition and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Rocester, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers , excavators, tractors and diesel engines...
. He served as the unpaid UK Skills Envoy from 2006-07.
Jones acted as a non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
for the IT contractor iSoft
ISOFT
iSOFT is an international supplier of software applications for the healthcare sector. Its products are used by an estimated 13,000 organisations in 40 countries for managing patient information and healthcare services. Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia.iSOFT was founded in 1996 as a...
from 2000 until his resignation in July 2005, when he stayed on for one year as an advisor. Following the collapse in the value of iSoft and investigations into its accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
practices, Jones said "There is a limit to what a non-executive can know... They have to rely on what advisers tell them and what the executive team tells them. It is important that people understand this."
Political career
On 29 June 2007, Jones became Minister of State for Trade and InvestmentMinister of State for Trade
The Minister of State for Trade is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
in both the newly-created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was a United Kingdom government department. The department was created on 28 June 2007 on the disbanding of the Department of Trade and Industry , and was itself disbanded on 6 June 2009 on the creation of the Department for Business,...
and the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
. He was appointed as a Government Minister in a move to create a government "of all talents". It was announced he was taking the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
whip in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
but did not join the Labour Party. On 10 July 2007 he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Jones of Birmingham, of Alvechurch
Alvechurch
Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles...
and of Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
in the County of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, and took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
that same day. He styles himself Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.
Jones had considered running for Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
after being encouraged by a group of prominent businessmen. He was also approached by the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
about becoming their official candidate, but soon rejected their proposal.
In April 2008 Lord Jones announced his intention to resign as Minister of Trade and Investment later in the year. He resigned in October 2008 and was appointed to be a UK Business Ambassador for UK Trade & Investment. In testimony to the Public Administration Committee he said that his time as a junior minister was "one of the most dehumanising and depersonalising experiences" anyone could have, and that he had been amazed by how many civil servants he thought deserved the sack.
On 16 January 2009, in a subsequent blog entry on the Daily Telegraph's blogsite, Lord Jones was described as "the walking personification of the spirit of big business at its corporatist worst".
Other posts
Lord Jones is a Corporate Ambassador for the Cancer Research UKCancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
Corporate Ambassadors. He is also a Fellow of UNICEF. He is President of the Diversity Works initiative - a programme led by the disability organisation Scope, a Diamond Ambassador for Mencap
Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
's WorkRight initiative, designed to spread the message of equality for disabled people, a Vice-President of Birmingham Hospice, and a Patron of Lifecycle UK, Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer and Get A-Head, the cancer charity fighting head and neck diseases.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library
Friends of the British Library
The Friends of the British Library is a registered charitable organisation in the UK with close links to the British Library. It provides funding in the form of grants to the British Library in order to allow the Library to acquire new items and collections, procure new equipment and facilities,...
, a charity which provides funding support to the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
He is a Non Executive Director of Leicester Tigers Rugby plc. He is a Vice President of The Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society was founded at an inaugural meeting on 10 June 1918 in The Council House, Birmingham, England and is registered with The Civic Trust. The first President of the Society, the Earl of Plymouth, addressed the assembled Aldermen, Councillors, Architects and other city...
and President of the Speakers Trust, and was their Speaker of the Year in 2008.
In November 2006, Jones was appointed "Business Adviser" to The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, receiving £1,000 a month from the royal payroll for working one day a month. This position ended upon his appointment as a Minister in July 2007. He is now an advisor to the Duke in relation to his work with UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment is a UK Government department working with businesses based in the United Kingdom to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice ....
, but on an unpaid basis.
Fellowships and Doctorates
Lord Jones is a Fellow of University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(2004); an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
(2004); and an Honorary Doctor of the University of Central England
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
(2002), the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
(2002), the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (2003), the University of Hertfordshire
University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
(2004), Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
(2005), Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
(2005), Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
(2006), the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
(2006), Queen's University, Belfast (2006), Warwick University (2006), Bradford University (2006), Wolverhampton University (2006), Nottingham University and Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
(2007). He is a visiting professor at the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
Business School and Chairman of the Birmingham Business School International Advisory Board.
View on unions
Media appearances
Digby Jones was the guest on BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
's Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
, broadcast on 21 May 2006.
He won BBC1's Celebrity Mastermind with a 9 point margin finishing on 33 points on 5 January 2011.
Styles and honours
- Mr Digby Jones (1955–2004)
- Sir Digby Jones (2004–2007)
- The Lord Jones of Birmingham, Kt. (2007 — )
External links
- CBI annual report & accounts, 2007
- Minimum wage rates ePolitix
- CBI urges caution on minimum wage ePolitix
- Lord Jones of Birmingham on TheyWorkForYou.com
- Birmingham Business School
- Digby Jones speaker profile London Speaker bureau