Leading UK business leader
Sir John Banham was the Chairman of retail giant Kingfisher plc from 1996 to December 2001, when he stood down following a successful sale/ de-merger of the Group’s General Merchandise business and properties. He was Chairman of Tarmac plc from February 1994 until March 2000 when the Group was acquired by Anglo American plc in an agreed bid following the de-merger of Carillion PLC.
Sir John was Director General of the CBI from 1987 to 1992. Since then and in addition to his current appointments, he has been involved in a wide cross-section of companies. He was a Director of National Power for six years until July 1998. He was also a Director of National Westminster Bank until April 1998, when he stood down after six-years’ service.
He was the founder and Chairman of Westcountry Television from the Company’s green-field start-up in June 1992 until it was sold to Carlton Communications in December.
He was the Chairman of Labatt Breweries of Europe and a Member of the Board of John Labatt (the parent Canadian company) from July 1992 until September 1995, when the Company was taken over by Interbrew, realising significant value for shareholders.
Overall, in the period since he left the CBI in mid-1992, Sir John Banham’s portfolio of UK publicly quoted companies (i.e. excluding private equity) has out-performed the FTSE 100 Index significantly.
A gifted communicator, Sir John’s remarkable breadth of experience gives him a unique vantage point from which he can share his hard-won knowledge on a variety of subjects including change management, branding and leadership.