Alex Beard (businessman)
{{Short description|British businessman (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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| name = Alex Beard
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| birth_name = Alexander Frank Beard
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|8|3}}
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| nationality = British
| education =
| alma mater = Christ Church, Oxford University
| occupation = Businessman
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| children = 3
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Alexander Frank Beard (born 3 August 1967){{Cite web |title=Alex Beard |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/alex-beard/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=Forbes |language=en}} is a British billionaire businessman, based in London. He is chairman and founding shareholder of Adaptogen Capital, a London-based infrastructure firm. Established in 2020, the firm is focused on building a portfolio of storage batteries across the UK that will provide stability to the grid and storage capacity.
Beard was formerly CEO of Glencore's worldwide oil operations, one of the world's largest commodity trading and mining companies.{{Cite web |date=2011-05-19 |title=The rise of Glencore, the biggest company you've never heard of |url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/may/19/rise-of-glencore-commodities-company |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} In June 2019, it was announced he would retire after 24 years with the company.{{Cite news |date=2019-06-03 |title=Glencore oil chief Alex Beard to retire |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8b816c42-85d3-11e9-97ea-05ac2431f453 |access-date=2023-01-12}}
Early life
Beard attended Gravesend Grammar School for Boys between 1980 and 1985. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford University in 1985 and graduated with an MA in Biochemistry in 1989.{{Cite web |title=Teaching and Research Staff {{!}} Christ Church, Oxford University |url=https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/research-and-academia/academic-and-research-staff |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=www.chch.ox.ac.uk}}
Career
Beard joined BP as a graduate and worked there as an oil trader from 1990–94. He joined Glencore in 1995 as a trader in Russia and FSU and took over responsibility for all trading in those areas. In 2007, he was appointed as CEO of Glencore's worldwide oil department.
During his tenure Glencore substantially increased their global business to trade over 5Mb per day of crude and products. Beard also created the RussNeft joint venture for production in Russia as well as invested in shipping, refining and storage assets.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
In June 2019, it was announced Beard would step down as the head of Glencore's oil division.
According to Forbes, he is worth $2.3 billion.
His new investment fund, Adaptogen Capital is focused on building a portfolio of at least 800MW of strategic storage batteries across the UK to provide stability for the UK grid as the supply of renewable energy increases. Other ventures include being a Sponsor of Energy Transition Partners (ENTP), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, created with the purpose of acquiring a business operating in the energy transition sector.{{Cite web |title=Energy Transition Partners B.V. lists on Euronext Amsterdam {{!}} euronext.com |url=https://www.euronext.com/en/about/media/euronext-press-releases/energy-transition-partners-bv-lists-euronext-amsterdam |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=www.euronext.com}}{{Cite news |last=Zhdannikov |first=Dmitry |date=2021-09-30 |title=EXCLUSIVE The king of oil bets on batteries for a green world |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exclusive-king-oil-bets-batteries-green-world-2021-09-30/ |access-date=2023-01-12}}
Personal life
Beard is married, has three children and lives in London.
He endowed a £6m fund at Christ Church which funds income support for undergraduates as part of the Oxford University Bursary Scheme and was made an honorary student of Christ Church in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Boat Club Society {{!}} Christ Church, Oxford University |url=https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/alumni/boat-club-society-0 |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=www.chch.ox.ac.uk}}{{Cite web |title="Christ Church... In Perpetuity" {{!}} Christ Church {{!}} Oxford University {{!}} 2014/15 |url=https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/IP2Final.pdf}} He was also a donor to the Royal Marsden Oak Cancer Centre. He joined the board of trustees for Shakespeare's Globe in London in 2017, becoming Deputy Chairman in 2019 before stepping down in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Join our Board of Trustees for 2022 {{!}} Blogs & features |url=https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/discover/blogs-and-features/2022/02/07/join-our-board-of-trustees-for-2022/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=Shakespeare's Globe |language=en-GB}}
References
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Category:British business executives
Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford