"Knowledge 2000" - Conference on the Knowledge Driven Economy
Biographies
Tony Blair
Prime Minister
"Education is the best economic policy there is."
The son of a barrister and lecturer, Tony Blair was born in Edinburgh and educated at Fettes School. He studied law at Oxford, and went on to become a barrister himself. After standing unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in a by-election, Blair went on to win the seat of Sedgefield in the 1983 General Election, aged 30.
He made a speedy rise through the ranks, being promoted first to the shadow Treasury front bench in 1985. He subsequently served as a trade and industry spokesman, before being elected to the Shadow Cabinet in 1988, where he was made Shadow Secretary of State for Energy. In 1989 he moved to the employment brief.
After the 1992 election Labours new leader, John Smith, promoted Blair, making him Shadow Home Secretary. It was in this post that Blair made famous his pledge that Labour would be tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.
John Smith died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1994, and in the subsequent leadership contest Tony Blair won a large majority of his party's support.
Blair immediately launched his campaign for the modernisation of the Labour Party, determined to complete the shift further towards the political centre which he saw as essential for victory. The debate over Clause 4 of the party's constitution was considered the crucial test of whether its members would commit to Blair’s project. He successfully removed the commitment to public ownership, and at this time coined the term New Labour.
The Labour Party went on to win the 1997 General Election by a landslide, after 18 years in Opposition. The government began to implement a far-reaching programme of constitutional change, putting the question of devolution to referendums in Scotland and Wales, establishing an elected post of Mayor of London at the head of a new capital-wide authority, and removing all but 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords in the first stage of its reform. The Labour Government has also implemented an investment programme of £42 billion in its priority areas of health and education.
Tony Blair is married to the barrister Cherie Booth, and they have three children.
His Excellency Senhor Antonion Manuel de Oliveira Guterres
Prime Minister of Portugal
Born in Santos-o-Velho, Lisbon, Portugal on 30th April, 1949
Married, two children
Graduated in Electronic Engineering at the "Instituto Superior Técnico", Lisbon
| Professional Activity |
| 1973 |
Head of the Industrial Planning Division for the "Gabinete de Sines" (industrial development agency for the Sines area) |
| 1973-75 |
Adviser Lecturer at the "Instituto Superior Técnico", Lisbon |
| 1974-75 |
Assistant to the Minister without portfolio, Mário Soares. Chief of Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Industry and Assistant to The Minister of
Finance in the Provisional Governments following the Revolution of April, 1974 |
| 1976-79 |
Member of the European Integration Committee (the Committee that initiated negotiations for the accession of Portugal to the European Community). |
| 1984-85 |
Director for Strategic Development of IPE — "Investimentos e Participações do Estado" (the Portuguese State holding company). |
| Social and Political Activity |
| 1968-72 |
Member of JUC — Catholic Student Youth. |
| 1970—71 |
President of CASU — University Centre for Social Action, an organization affiliated to JUC and the Portuguese Caritas. |
| 1973-74 |
Founder and Vice-President of the Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (DECO). |
| From 1974 |
Member of the National and Political Commissions of the Socialist Party. |
| 1976-83 |
Member of the Portuguese Parliament. |
| 1977-79 |
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Finance. |
| 1979-Oct ’95 |
Chairman of the Municipal Assembly of Fundão |
| 1981-83 |
Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. (In 1983, Chariman of the Committee on Demography, Migration and Refugees). |
| From 1985 |
Member of the Portuguese Parliament |
| 1985-88 |
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Planning, Local Authorities and Environment. |
| 1986-88 |
Member of the National Bureau of the Socialist Party, responsible for organization and internal matters. |
| 1988-91 |
President of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party. |
| From 1991 |
Member of the Council of State. |
| From 1992 |
Leader of the Socialist Party. Vice-President of the Socialist International and co-Chairman of the African Committee with President Diouf of Senegal. |
| Oct 1995 |
Prime Minister, following the October general elections. Re-elected Prime Minister. |
Stephen Byers, MP
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
The Right Honourable Stephen Byers was appointed Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 23 December 1998.
He was previously Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 27 July 1998.
Mr Byers was Schools Standards Minister at the Department for Education and Employment from 6 May 1997. During his time at DfEE, he spearheaded much of the Government’s radical and innovative education legislation including the School Standards and Framework Act.
Mr Byers, 46, is MP for North Tyneside. He was educated at Chester City Grammar School, Chester College of Further Education and Liverpool Polytechnic. He is a former senior lecturer in law.
Mr Byers was a member of the North Tyneside Metropolitan District Council from 1980 - 1992 and Chairman of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities’ Education Committee from 1990 - 92.
He was Deputy Leader of North Tyneside Council from 1986-92 and Chair of the Council of Local Education Authorities.
Mr Byers became an MP in 1992 and in 1994 was appointed opposition whip. The following year he became opposition spokesman on Education and Employment.
David Blunkett, MP
Secretary of State for Education and Employment
The Right Honourable David Blunkett MP, has been appointed Secretary of State for Education and Employment.
Mr Blunkett was first elected to Parliament in June 1987, representing the Sheffield Brightside seat. He was Opposition Spokesman on Environment (Local Government) from 1988 - 92 and then Shadow Secretary of State for Health 1992 - 94, Education 1994 - 95 and Education and Employment when the Departments merged from 1995.
Born in June 1947, he was educated at the Sheffield School for the Blind, Royal Normal College for the Blind, Shrewsbury Technical College, Sheffield Richmond College of Further Education, the University of Sheffield and Huddersfield College of Education. He is a former member of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, and is currently a member of the health service union UNISON.
His early political career was spent in local government, firstly on the South Yorkshire County Council from 1973 - 77 then Sheffield City Council from 1970 - 88 where he was Chair of the Social Services Committee from 1976 - 80 and Leader from 1980 - 87.
His special interests include education and local government and he enjoys walking, sailing, music and poetry. Mr Blunkett has three sons.
Patricia Hewitt, MP
Minister of State: Small Business and E-commerce
Patricia Hewitt was appointed as Minister for Small Business and E-commerce at the Department of Trade and Industry on 29 July 1999. She is MP for Leicester West. She was formally Economic Secretary at the Treasury.
Ms Hewitt has been a member of Parliament since 1997. She was educated at the Canberra Girls’ Grammar School and Newnham College, Cambridge University.
Patricia was Press and Broadcasting Officer (1983 - 87) and Policy Co-ordinator (1987 - 89) to the then Leader of the Opposition, the Right Honourable Neil Kinnock; Deputy Director (1989 - 94) of the Institute for Public Policy Research and Director of Research for Andersen Consulting (1994 - 97).
Ms Hewitt was Deputy Chair of the Commission for Social Justice (1992 - 94) and was a member of the Social Security Select Committee before taking up her Ministerial post.
In her spare time, Ms Hewitt enjoys reading, theatre, music and gardening. She is married with one son and one daughter.
Digby Jones
Director General, CBI
Born on 28 October 1955, he won a major scholarship to Bromsgrove School and gained a 2:1 degree in law at University College, London.
He started his career with corporate law firm Edge & Ellison in 1978. After completing Articles, he initially worked in Property and Commercial Law and was made a Partner in 1984, developing a specialisation in corporate affairs in the mid-eighties.
It was in corporate finance and client development that he made his name and he was responsible for developing the firm’s London presence and establishing representation in many European countries and several States in America. He was also involved in most of the major management buy-outs and Merger and Acquisition activity in the West Midlands in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was made Deputy Senior Partner in 1990 and Senior Partner in 1995.
In 1998 he joined KPMG as Vice Chairman of Corporate Finance where he acted as close adviser to many public companies across the United Kingdom. He has also worked on the development of KPMG’s global markets, (the firm has in excess of 100,000 people in some 160 countries world-wide) to ensure consistency of service levels and quality of approach towards major global clients.
He has been a non-executive director and chairman of several companies, covering sectors as diverse as quarry aggregates, local radio and automotive component manufacture.
He sits on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Development Trust Charity. In 1998, as Chairman of the Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Appeal, which raised £1.5 million, he personally raised £218,000 towards their target by cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End.
Digby Jones is married to Pat. He enjoys the theatre, skiing, cycling and rugby.
John Monks
General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
John Monks is General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), United Kingdom. The TUC is Britain’s largest voluntary organisation, including 76 member unions, representing some 7 million people.
Before becoming General Secretary of the TUC in September 1993 Mr Monks had been TUC’s Deputy General Secretary since 1987, and Head of the TUC's Organisation and Industrial Relations Department since 1977.
Mr Monks holds a degree in Economic History from Nottingham University. After two years in the electronics industry he joined the TUC in 1969. He was a member of the Council of the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) from 1979 until 1995 and of the Economic and Social Research Council from 1988 to 1991.
Current public duties include membership of the following bodies:
the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets
the Advisory Committee on Competitiveness to the President of the European Commission
the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Standing Committee on European and Monetary Union
the Executive Councils of the European TUC and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
Mr Monks is a Visiting Professor to the School of Management at UMIST, Manchester. He holds honorary degrees from the universities of UMIST, Nottingham, Cranfield, Salford and Cardiff.
Mr Monks was born in Manchester in 1945. He is married with three children and his interests include music, sport and hiking. He is a staunch supporter of Manchester United and Swinton Rugby League Club.
Eric J Newton
Managing Direcor - John Heathcoat & Co Ltd
Eric Newton has had over 40 years experience in the textile manufacturing industry as a technologist and a manager. He started with the Courtauld Group in Essex on leaving high school and gained his qualifications part time whilst working in the company’s dyeing and finishing unit at Bocking. He has practical experience in both weaving and dyeing and finishing with colouration being his speciality. He is a Fellow and Silver Medallist of the Society of Dyers and Colourists, a Licentiate of the Textile Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has worked for John Heathcoat & Company Limited since leaving the Courtaulds Group in 1983 and has been Managing Director for 11 years.
He is a member of the South West Industrial Development Board, the South West Euro Forum, a Member of the Exeter University Business Forum and a member of the CBI South West Regional Council.
A keen environmentalist for many years, he chairs the CBI South West Environmental and Health & Safety Forum and also the Devon Area Environmental group of the Environment Agency. He is a Vice-chair of the South West Sustainability Round Table, a director of Sustainability South West and a director and Vice-chair of Devon Environmental Business Initiative Ltd. Outside of work his interests are firstly with his family, and also gardening and photography.
Val Pugh
National Officer, USDAW (Littlewoods)
Usdaw is a trade union with 308,000 members working in a wide range of sectors, including Retailing, Home Shopping, Distribution, Food Manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals.
The Union has made a major contribution to the recent developments in Partnership matters and is regarded as a leader in the field.
Val Pugh has been a National Officer with the Union since 1996. She was an Area Organiser for eight years before this.
Val’s major responsibilities are for Home Shopping and Transport and Distribution and she leads the negotiations with many major high street and home shopping companies.
She played a major role in the drawing up of the Littlewoods Partnership and she is one of the Union’s senior officers whose job it is to ensure that the Partnership is a success.
Tony Dubbins
General Secretary, Graphical, Paper and Media Union
Tony Dubbins is the General Secretary of the Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU), a position he has held since the formation of the Union in 1991. He has represented his Union on the TUC General Council for over 10 years, and is also a member of the Executive Council. He is Chair of the TUC’s Training and Education Committee, a member of the Government’s Skills Task Force, and a Director of Investors in People.
Tony is also active in the international arena, being President of the European Graphical Sector of Union Network International (UNI), and Vice President of the International Sector of UNI.
He is also on the World Executive of UNI and the Executive Committee of the European Trades Union Congress.
Sharon Reed
Managing Director, FrameStore Group
"What I do now is worlds away from where I started," reflects Sharon Reed on her family background in antiques and her degree in history from Manchester University. Reed achieved a childhood ambition of working for Sotheby's, before realising that "You don't get far at Sotheby's with a name like Sharon."
Seeking a brighter future, she joined major printing group BPCC and found an opportunity running a small television subsidiary which she turned around from losses to profitability.
Seizing the opportunity presented by new digital technology for television, Reed and four colleagues founded FrameStore in March 1986 with backing from like-minded directors and producers from the industry. FrameStore grew from 5 to 120 employees without further investment and has expanded from providing a single service to a full range of computer animation, digital effects and post production services.
Extending into film with the acquisition in 1997 of The Computer Film Company, the combined workforce of nearly 200 people today services top advertising agencies, US film studios, as well as leading UK and US broadcasters.
Sharon is a Governor of Ravensbourne College, one of the leading third level colleges serving the industry.
Richard Holroyd ACIB
Head of Training, HSBC
Head of Training, HSBC Bank plc since 1996 with responsibility for the training of 48,000 employees of the bank in UK and Europe. Richard joined Midland Bank in 1965 and has enjoyed a 35 year career with Midland/HSBC split equally between branch banking and training. Most of his career has been spent in London and the South East, with the exception of the early eighties when he was a manager at two branches in the North West of England.
A married man with two sons, Richard is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a member of the Executive Committee of the Banks and Building Societies National Training Organisation.
Pat Macdonald
Employee Relations Director, Littlewoods
Pat was appointed to this role in November 1999, a role that incorporates employee relations for all 27,000 employees in and around the Littlewoods Organisation and HR generalist support to the corporate centre in Liverpool.
Previous roles throughout Pat’s 20 years employed in the retail sector include working for Marks and Spencer, Boots the Chemist and five years in South Africa working for the Wooltru Group. Experience gained in both commercial and HR management has included major contributions specifically in Information Technology, and Call Centre environments. Pat is now in her favoured area of HR, employee relations.
Pat 42, is married with two children and lives in Wallasey, Merseyside and in between being a full time wife and mum enjoys walking, reading, music and foreign travel.
Chris Humphries OBE
Director General, British Chambers of Commerce
Chris Humphries has been Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce since July 1998, and since that time has played a key role in strengthening links with government and raising the national press and media profile of Chambers of Commerce. He initiated the UK’s National Campaign for Enterprise, which has now become a full partnership campaign involving all the major business and educational bodies in Britain. Prior to this appointment, Chris was Chief Executive of the TEC National Council from 1994 to 1998, after three years as Managing Director of the Hertfordshire Training and Enterprise Council.
Before 1991, Chris had a varied career moving between the public and private sectors, though usually with some association with education and training. Chris began his career in Australia as a philosophy lecturer but shortly afterward left the country for extensive travel. Arriving in London in 1974, he worked for five years as a Media Resources Officer with the Inner Education Authority before leaving to set up a small but successful independent television company with two partners.
In 1982, he returned to education and training as Information Technology Programme Manager, and then Assistant Director, for the (National) Council for Educational Technology. After six years at CET, overtures from the private sector then persuaded him to enter the computer industry where he worked initially in computer based training for ICL, and then went on to run the education business of Acorn Computers in Cambridge.
Even before joining Hertfordshire TEC, Chris had worked actively with Government on a wide variety of training projects, including the Open Tech Project, Training Access Points, the Prospect careers guidance system, and new technologies for training. He was also involved in the early stages of Thames Valley Enterprises and Cambridgeshire TEC whilst at ICL and Acorn.
In March 1998 the Secretary of State of Education and Employment appointed Chris as Chairman of the government’s National Skills Task Force to advise on how the education and training system can respond effectively to the future skills needs of UK employers.
Chris is also a serving Director of the British Quality Foundation and the Business Link Network Company Ltd.
He was awarded the CBE for services to training and Enterprise in June 1998.
Chris lives in London with his family, including two daughters aged 11 and 13.
Cathy Tinston
North West Regional Officer, UNIFI
Cathy Tinston is North West Regional Organiser for UNIFI, the finance union.
She has held this position for fourteen years. In UNIFI, regional organisers design, write and deliver education courses for the members in the area.
Before this she worked in the finance industry and was a National Committee Member of the union.
She holds an MA in Industrial Relations from Keele University.
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