Non-executive appointments to the Treasury Board

The Treasury today announces two new non-executive appointments to the Treasury Board. The appointments have been approved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer following an open competition involving the independent Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

The new non-executive members of the Treasury Board will be:

Stella Manzie, Chief Executive, Coventry Council
William Sargent, joint chief executive and co-founder, Framestore CFC group and outgoing chairman of the Small Business Council.

The appointments take effect from 1 June 2005, for a period of three years. William Sargent will also take on the role as Chairman of the Treasury’s Audit Committee with effect from December 2005.

Gus O’Donnell, Treasury Permanent Secretary and Chair of the Treasury Board, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Stella and William to the Board. Between them they bring extensive experience of the wider public sector and small business, two areas it is important for the modern Treasury to understand and engage in dialogue with. I look forward to working with them both in shaping a Treasury that continues to be successful and one that can respond to the challenges of the future”.

Notes for editors

1. William is joint chief executive and co-founder of FrameStore CFC Group. Founded in 1986, FrameStore CFC is one of the world's leading companies in the creation of computer animation and visual effects for the advertising, media, film and television markets. FrameStore CFC has won most major craft awards in the UK and USA, including 10 EMMYs and 2 Technical Academy Awards. William was appointed Chairman of the Small Business Council in March 2000, reporting to Patricia Hewitt as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He will step down from this role in June 2005 when his term ends.

2. Stella Manzie is currently Chief Executive of Coventry, a post she has held since 2001. Prior to that she was Chief Executive of West Berkshire Council, and before that she was Chief Executive of Redditch Borough Council for five years. During a period as a Management Consultant Stella also worked for a number of London Boroughs and a range of other public sector organisations. Her early career saw her working for Birmingham City Council, SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) and the Association of County Councils. Stella was appointed OBE for services to Local Government. She was educated at Cambridge University where she gained a first degree in English. She also holds a Masters Degree in Social Sciences (Local Government and Health). She has contributed to various publications, notably "Lighthouses Not Spotlights" for SOLACE and her essay "Citizenship - Not a Status, But a Culture" won the Kieron Walsh Memorial Prize, University of Birmingham in 1996/7.

3. The Treasury Board is responsible for leading a Treasury that delivers the objectives and targets of Ministers now and in the future. The Board, chaired by Permanent Secretary Gus O’Donnell, contains a mix of executive and non-executive members. The executive members are the chair, Sir Nicholas Stern, the Second Permanent Secretary, and the managing directors of each of the Treasury’s six operational directorates. The non-executive members are Sir Peter Gershon, Chairman, Premier Farnell plc and formerly chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce, David Varney, Executive Chairman, Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, John Oughton, Chief Executive, Office of Government Commerce, and Margaret Exley, Chairman of Mercer Delta Limited.

4. Six years on from her appointment as the Treasury’s first non-executive director, Margaret Exley is leaving the Treasury Board. With the agreement of Treasury Ministers, the Board advertised for two new members, with the aim of enhancing the corporate governance of the Treasury and bringing a wider range of external experience to the Board’s work.

5. Chris Swinson, formerly Managing Partner of BDO Stoy Hayward, completes his term as Treasury Audit Committee chair in December 2005. The advertisement for non-executive directors specifically sought candidates willing to take on this role and William Sargent has agreed to accept it.

6. Media enquiries should be directed to Marie-Anne Davies in the Treasury press office on 020 7270 5946.

7. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the Treasury Correspondence and Enquiry Unit on 020 7270 4558 or by e-mail to public.enquiries@hm-treasury.gov.uk.

8. This press release and other Treasury publications and information are available on the Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.