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Biographies for the Efficiency and Reform Board

Dr Martin Read

Dr Martin Read is a non-executive director of Invensys, Aegis Group and Lloyds of London.  He led a UK Government review of back office operations and IT across the public sector which reported in 2009 and now sits on the new Government's Efficiency and Reform Board.  Martin was chief executive of international IT services company Logica from 1993 to 2007 and has served as a non-executive director on the boards of British Airways, Siemens Holdings, Boots and ASDA.  His earlier career included positions at GEC-Marconi, International Paint and Overseas Containers.  He is a trustee of homelessness charity Shelter and of the Council for Industry and Higher Education, and vice-chair of the Council of Southampton University.

Sir Peter Gershon CBE FREng

Peter’s career has spanned both the private and public sectors since he graduated in Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1969. After starting in the computer industry (1969-1986) he worked in the telecommunications industry (1987-1994) and then became the main board director in GEC plc in 1994 with responsibility for its £3.5 billion international aerospace & defence business.

Following the sale of GEC’s defence business to BAE SYSTEMS in late 1999 he joined the Civil Service in April 2000 as the first Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) to lead a major programme to reform the way UK Central Civil Government handles its procurement.

In August 2003 the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer invited Peter to lead a major review of UK Public Sector efficiency to identify significant resources which could be reallocated in the 2004 Spending Review to front line services over the period 05/06 – 07/08.

After more than 4 years of public service Peter returned to the private sector in 2004 and is the now Chairman of Tate & Lyle PLC as well as General Healthcare Group, Premier Farnell plc and Vertex Group Limited.  His other current appointments include membership of the council of Imperial College and membership of the UK Defence Academy’s advisory board.  In 2008 he undertook an independent review for the Australian Government of its use of Information & Communications Technology.

He was awarded the CBE in 2000 for services to industry and Knighted in 2004 for his work on public procurement.

Lucy Neville-Rolfe 

Lucy Neville-Rolfe – 55, Corporate and Legal Affairs Director

Lucy Neville-Rolfe, CMG, was appointed Executive Director (Corporate and Legal Affairs) of Tesco Plc on 14 December 2006.  Since she joined Tesco it has moved from its core UK grocery roots into non-food, services and 13 overseas markets from the Far East to the United States.

Lucy joined Tesco in 1997 as Group Director of Corporate Affairs and from 2004 – 2006 was also Company Secretary.  Her responsibilities now include Community, Government, Legal, Pensions, Internal and External Communications, Investor Relations, Insurance and Claims, International Corporate and Legal Affairs and competition matters.

Until 1997 she worked in a number of Government departments.  She was a member of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street from 1992 – 1994 where her responsibilities included home and legal affairs.  She was Director of the Deregulation Unit, first in the DTI and then the Cabinet Office from 1995 - 1997.  She started her career in DEFRA (then MAFF) where her roles included Private Secretary to the Minister, early greening of the department and the Food Safety Act 1990.

Lucy is Chairman of Dobbies Garden Centres, Deputy Chairman of the British Retail Consortium and a member of the CBI Economics Committee.  She is also a member of China Britain Business Council, UK India Business Council, The Carbon Trust, BERR’s EU Strategy Advisory Group and the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change. 

Lucy was awarded the CMG in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2005 in recognition of her contribution as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  She read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Somerville College, Oxford where she is an Honorary Fellow.  She is married with 4 sons.