Lord Blackwell

Norman Roy Blackwell, Baron Blackwell (born 29 July 1952) is a British former businessman, civil servant, Conservative politician, campaigner and policy advisor.

Early life

The son of Albert and Frances Blackwell, he was educated first at Latymer Upper School, and as a Junior Exhibitioner at The Royal Academy of Music in London. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a master of arts in natural sciences in 1973. He then obtained a Thouron Award to study at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a master of business administration in 1975, and then in 1976 with a doctor of philosophy in finance and economics.

Career

Business and commerce employment

Upon leaving academia Norman commenced employment in 1976 with The Plessey Company, a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company, where he was involved with strategic planning. and he remained with the firm until 1995, and Scottish Widows plc on 1 September 2012, but stepped down on becoming chairman of parent company Lloyds Banking Group on 3 April 2014.

Emoluments – business and commerce employment

Lord Blackwell received remuneration of £755,000 as Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group, as detailed in the 2018 annual report. He had no other remunerated employment.

Past directorship and advisor roles

Chairman, Interserve plc, a global support services group since 1 January 2006,

Non-executive director, Halma plc, which provides specialist technologies for safety, health and environmental protection)

Blackwell was a special advisor to KPMG, within its corporate finance division, between 2000 and 2008

He became non-executive chairman of Akers Biosciences Inc yet resigned from the board on 28 March 2003, little more than 10 months later.

He served as senior independent non-executive director at Corporate Services Group Plc, a recruitment and employment agency, from December 2000 to 9 June 2006. and as a non-executive director of Dixons Group, a consumer electronics retailer, from 2000 to 2003 and as senior independent director from 2008 until May 2012. The honour was bestowed upon him as part of the 1997 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours which marked the May 1997 resignation of Prime Minister John Major, following the Conservative party's defeat in the 1997 general election. He sits in the House of Lords as a lord temporal for the Conservatives.

Parliamentary committees

As of 4 April 2013 the United Kingdom Parliament listed Lord Blackwell's participation in the following committees: Although identified as non-partisan, the centre has strong historical links to the Conservative Party. He served as chairman of the CPS between 2000 and 2009.

Lord Blackwell published the research paper, "A Blueprint for Renegotiating The UK's EU Relationship" for the campaign. The paper sets out an agenda to safeguard UK powers or, repatriate EU powers in the following areas: foreign and defence policy, legal and judicial, legislative and regulatory, European Court of Justice, EU programmes, trade policy, and free market, so as to create a new relationship between Britain and the EU.

Public service

Current ministerial appointment

Office of Communications

Norman Blackwell was appointed a non-executive board member for The Office of Communications commonly known as Ofcom, initially for a three-year term, from 1 September 2009.

Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. He was a member of the Ofcom Content Board, Nominations Committee and Remuneration Committee. He had special non-executive responsibility for postal regulation. initially for a five-year term, up to 31 March 2010.

During the period when Lord Blackwell served as a non-executive director of the OFT a company where, at the time, he was also chairman, Interserve plc, became subject to an investigation by the OFT into tender activity in the construction industry prior to him joining the Interserve Board. The investigation was described by the OFT as "one of the largest ever Competition Act investigations". Interserve were found to have engaged in illegal anti-competitive bid rigging activities and were fined a sum of £11,634,750.

Postal Services Commission

Lord Blackwell served as a commissioner of Postcomm, the Postal Services Commission a non-ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom charged with overseeing the quality and universal service of post in the United Kingdom. Postcomm was merged into the communications regulator Ofcom on 1 October 2011.

Personal life

He married Brenda Clucas; they have three sons and two daughters. Blackwell owns properties in London and Surrey let on assured short hold tenancies, owned jointly with his wife.

Arms

Publications

Lord Blackwell has published the following public policy pamphlets: