John Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard
Encyclopedia
John Olav Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard GCMG
(born 22 February 1942), a former diplomat, is Deputy Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell and an independent (cross-bench) member of the House of Lords
.
, he was educated at Glasgow Academy and at Pembroke College, Oxford
(BA modern history 1963). He has Honorary degrees from the Universities of St Andrews, Aston
and Glasgow.
, and at the High Commission in Rawalpindi
, Pakistan
. He was Private secretary
to the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
from 1974 until 1979, and was on secondment to HM Treasury
from 1979 until 1984, during which time he was Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 1981 until 1984. He was Head of Chancery at the British Embassy in Washington DC from 1984 until 1987, then Assistant Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
from 1987 until 1990.
He was Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the European Communities
/European Union
in Brussels
from 1990 until 1995, then Ambassador to the United States
in Washington from 1995 to 1997.Returning to London in 1997, he was Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
and Head of the Diplomatic Service until 2002. After leaving UK Government service he was Secretary General of the European Convention
in 2002/3.
He was appointed CMG
in 1987, KCMG in 1991, and GCMG in 2001. Three years later, he was created a life peer
as Baron Kerr of Kinlochard, of Kinlochard in Perth and Kinross
. In the House of Lords he serves in the Law and Institutions Sub-Committee of the EU Select Committee.
plc, of which he became, and remains, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director. He has been a Director of the Scottish American Investment Trust since 2002, of Rio Tinto plc since 2003, and of Scottish Power Ltd since 2009.
He is a Trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (since 2005), an executive committee member of the Trilateral Commission
, and UK President of the UK/Korea Forum for the Future. He was Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College London
from January 2005 until July 2011. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
, and was a Trustee of the National Gallery, London, from 2002 to 2010, and of the Rhodes Trust from 1997 to 2010, and was a Fulbright Commissioner from 2003 to 2009.
He is Chairman of the Centre for European Reform
, Vice-President of the European Policy Centre, and a Council member of Business for New Europe.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(born 22 February 1942), a former diplomat, is Deputy Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell and an independent (cross-bench) member of 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....
.
Background and education
Born in Grantown-on-SpeyGrantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the Highland Council Area in Scotland.It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness .It is the main town in what was the...
, he was educated at Glasgow Academy and at Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
(BA modern history 1963). He has Honorary degrees from the Universities of St Andrews, Aston
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...
and Glasgow.
Diplomatic career
He served in the British Diplomatic Service from 1966 until 2002. This included postings at the British Embassy in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and at the High Commission in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He was Private secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth 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...
from 1974 until 1979, and was on secondment to HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
from 1979 until 1984, during which time he was Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1981 until 1984. He was Head of Chancery at the British Embassy in Washington DC from 1984 until 1987, then Assistant Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth 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...
from 1987 until 1990.
He was Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the European Communities
European Communities
The European Communities were three international organisations that were governed by the same set of institutions...
/European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from 1990 until 1995, then Ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Washington from 1995 to 1997.Returning to London in 1997, he was Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1790.Not to be confused with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs...
and Head of the Diplomatic Service until 2002. After leaving UK Government service he was Secretary General of the European Convention
European Convention
The Convention on the Future of Europe , was a body established by the European Council in December 2001 as a result of the Laeken Declaration...
in 2002/3.
He was appointed CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1987, KCMG in 1991, and GCMG in 2001. Three years later, 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 Kerr of Kinlochard, of Kinlochard in Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
. In the House of Lords he serves in the Law and Institutions Sub-Committee of the EU Select Committee.
Business career
He became a Director of Shell Transport and Trading in 2002, and chaired the group of Directors who brought about the creation in 2005 of Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
plc, of which he became, and remains, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director. He has been a Director of the Scottish American Investment Trust since 2002, of Rio Tinto plc since 2003, and of Scottish Power Ltd since 2009.
He is a Trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (since 2005), an executive committee member of the Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
, and UK President of the UK/Korea Forum for the Future. He was Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
from January 2005 until July 2011. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
, and was a Trustee of the National Gallery, London, from 2002 to 2010, and of the Rhodes Trust from 1997 to 2010, and was a Fulbright Commissioner from 2003 to 2009.
He is Chairman of the Centre for European Reform
Centre for European Reform
The Centre for European Reform is a London-based think tank which supports European integration while arguing for institutional reform of the European Union...
, Vice-President of the European Policy Centre, and a Council member of Business for New Europe.