Gary Verity
{{Short description|British businessman}}{{use British English|date=November 2018}}{{use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Sir
| name = Gary Verity
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DL}}
| image = Gary Verity 2014 Paris-Roubaix t162035.jpg
| caption = Verity in 2014
| order =
| office = Chief Executive Officer of Welcome to Yorkshire
| term_start = October 2008
| term_end = March 2019
| predecessor =
| successor =
| birth_name = Gary Keith Verity
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1964|7}}
| birth_place = Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
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| citizenship =
| nationality = British
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| awards = Knight Bachelor (2015)
National Order of Merit, France (2017)
}}
Sir Gary Keith Verity, {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DL}} (born July 1964) is a British businessman and sheep farmer. He was Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire from 2008 until he resigned in March 2019.
Welcome to Yorkshire
From October 2008 to March 2019, Verity was Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire. He led the successful campaign for the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France to be held in Yorkshire.{{cite web|title=Sir Gary Verity|url=http://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/sir-gary-verity|website=Heritage Lottery Fund|accessdate=10 November 2015}}{{cite news|title=Arise Sir Gary as knighthood completes a landmark year of personal celebration|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/arise-sir-gary-as-knighthood-completes-a-landmark-year-of-personal-celebration-1-7307815|accessdate=10 November 2015|work=The Yorkshire Post|date=13 June 2015}}
On 22 March 2019, Verity resigned from his post with Welcome To Yorkshire citing health reasons.{{cite web |title=Tourism chief quits after expenses probe |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47672013 |website=BBC News |accessdate=27 March 2019 |date=22 March 2019}} He also admitted that he had "made errors of judgement regarding his expenses".{{cite web|title=Yorkshire tourism boss quits after expenses probe|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47672013|website=BBC News|accessdate=23 March 2019|date=22 March 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com/news/local-news/2834348/sir-gary-verity-quits-welcome-to-yorkshire/|title=Sir Gary Verity Quits Welcome to Yorkshire|date=2019-03-22|website=Yorkshire Coast Radio|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}} He voluntarily offered to repay the incorrectly claimed expenses.{{cite web |title=Tourism boss's behaviour 'unacceptable' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47695831 |website=BBC News |accessdate=27 March 2019 |date=25 March 2019}} He was also accused of unacceptable behaviour and bullying, with the former head of communications Dee Marshall suggesting that he had "really hurt people". Allegations were made concerning his behaviour in 2014 and 2016: he was issued with a final written warning and required to attend "behavioural management counselling".{{cite news |last1=Laycock |first1=Mike |title=Sir Gary Verity was given final written warning, tourism organisation reveals |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/ryedale/17528789.sir-gary-verity-was-given-final-written-warning-tourism-organisation-reveals/ |accessdate=27 March 2019 |work=York Press |date=27 March 2019 |language=en}}
Honours
In July 2014, Verity was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York.{{cite web|title=University of York honours 16 for their contribution to society|url=https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2014/events/honorary-degrees-july/|website=University of York|accessdate=10 November 2015}} In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours, it was announced that he had been appointed a Knight Bachelor "for services to Tourism and the Tour De France Grand Depart 2014".{{London Gazette |issue=61256 |date=13 June 2015 |page=B2 |supp=y }} In April 2017, he was made a Chevalier (knight) of the National Order of Merit by the President of France in recognition of his role in bringing the Grand Départ of the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014 and for creating its spiritual successor, the Tour de Yorkshire.{{cite web|title=Tour de Yorkshire Director is given top French honour|url=http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2017-04-27/tour-de-yorkshire-director-is-given-top-french-honour/|website=ITV News|accessdate=28 December 2017|date=27 April 2017}}
In May 2018, Verity was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.{{London Gazette |issue= 62287|date=15 May 2018 |page=8724 }}
In January 2022, it was reported that the Government’s Forfeiture Committee is considering stripping Verity of his knighthood.{{Cite web |last=Burn |first=Chris |date=7 January 2022 |title=Forfeiture Committee to consider whether to revoke Sir Gary Verity's knighthood |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/forfeiture-committee-to-consider-whether-to-revoke-sir-gary-veritys-knighthood-3519744# |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=Yorkshire Post}}
Personal life
Verity was born and raised in Leeds, and attended Leeds Grammar School.{{cite news |title=Sir Gary Verity DL |editor-last=Mitchinson|editor-first=James|work=The Yorkshire Post |date=1 August 2018 |location=Inspiring Yorkshire |page=49|issn=0963-1496}} An affinity with the Yorkshire Dales led him to buying a sheep farm in Coverdale. He has an 18 year old daughter, Lily (born 2003) with his late wife, Helen.{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Jan |title=Wild About Wider Yorkshire |work=Darlington & Stockton Times |issue=43–2018 |date=26 October 2018 |page=37|issn=2516-5348}}
References
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Category:Businesspeople from Leeds
Category:20th-century British farmers
Category:Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
Category:People educated at Leeds Grammar School