Minister of State for Energy Malcolm Wicks today announced the appointment of a new interim chairman of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council (EGAC).
Professor Jonathan Kydd, a development economist, has been an EGAC member since November 2000. He succeeds SustainAbility founder John Elkington. Professor Kydd is Dean of the University of London's External System, which offers flexible-study degrees of London University to over 40,000 students at undergraduate and post-graduate level. He is a non-executive director of CDC Group plc. Previously Professor of Agricultural Development Economics at Imperial College, he retains links with Imperial as Visiting Professor at Imperial's Centre for Environmental Policy.
EGAC advises ECGD - the UK's official export credit agency - and its Ministers on ECGD's activities with a particular focus on how ECGD can support UK industry, while contributing to sustainable development in emerging markets and complying with Government policies on transparency and on combatting bribery and corruption, as set out in ECGD's Business Principles.
Malcolm Wicks said:
"I am delighted Jonathan Kydd will be taking over the chair of the Council. John Elkington will be a tough act to follow, but I am sure that under Professor Kydd's leadership EGAC will continue to go from strength to strength."
Members of EGAC have expertise in many areas of business including insurance, emerging markets, corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Professor Kydd, whose first meeting as Chairman will take place in February, replaces Mr Elkington as EGAC Chairman on an interim basis of 18 months. Mr Elkington served on the Council for seven years, with two of these as Chairman. He tendered his resignation in late 2007 to launch a new business venture.