Michael Bishop, Baron Glendonbrook

Michael David Bishop, Baron Glendonbrook (born 10 February 1942) is a British-Australian businessman and life peer who rose to prominence as owner of the airline BMI. He sold his stake in the airline to Lufthansa on 1 July 2009 and had an estimated personal fortune of £280 million. He was one of the UK's first openly gay senior executives.

Early life Michael Bishop was born in Bowdon, Cheshire. The son of a factory boss, he was given a pleasure flight at the age of six. In 1949 his parents took him on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin in search of chocolate, a rarity during post-war rationing.

Educated at the independent Mill Hill School in north London, he enjoyed flying and as a result took a series of school holiday jobs with an aerial photographer. BDLH (Lufthansa's holding vehicle) acquired Bishop's share on 1 July 2009, assuming full control of the company.

Honours and appointments Between 1991 and 1993, Bishop was deputy chairman of Channel 4 television, becoming chairman from 1993 to 1997. He was also a board member at Sir Nigel Rudd's Williams plc., and deputy chairman at Airtours.

In 1986, he was appointed CBE, and in 1991 he was knighted. The University of Leicester awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law (LL.D) degree on 12 July 2007.

In an annual survey by The Independent of the UK's most influential gay men and women, Bishop was ranked as number 5 in 2005 and number 6 in 2006.

In February 2011, Bishop was created a life peer as Baron Glendonbrook, of Bowdon in the County of Cheshire, and was introduced in the House of Lords the next month, where he sits as a Conservative.

Bishop was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to the not-for-profit sector through philanthropic support".

Arms

Personal life Bishop is openly gay and, since 2008, has spoken out publicly about gay rights and success in the workplace. He is often referred to as "dapper" by the press, to note his keen sense of elegance.

He has been a member of the Conservative Party since the age of 17. He is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company due to his personal financial sponsorship.

Bishop lives in London and at Bruern Abbey, West Oxfordshire. Since purchasing the 18th-century country house on the Bruern site in 2013, he has completely refurbished it, installing a "large and impressive cantilever stone staircase and twenty-five kilometres of data cabling" and an underground car park.

Bishop is a member of the Lord Lyon Society.