Masters of the Bench

From 2010 to 2016 he was Chair of the British Council. Prior to that he spent his working career at Accenture and was International Chairman from 2001.

He chairs the National Opera Studio, the Leeds International Piano Competition and the Britten-Pears Foundation. He was Chairman of English National Opera from 2006-2012 and is now President. He is also Chairman of the Appeal Board for a £100m appeal for MS research. Through his Foundation he has, for the last 12 years, hosted 80 concerts a year at his London home in support of musicians and music organisations.

He is on the Board of FTI Consulting Inc and chairs the Boards of Martin Randall Travel and One Medical Group.

He was knighted for services to Music in 2011. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Music and was awarded honorary doctorates from Goldsmith’s, Queen’s University Belfast and Warwick University.