Philip Dilley
{{Short description|British civil servant (born 1955)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sir Philip Dilley
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Philip Dilley.jpg
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| office = Chairman of the Council of Imperial College London
| term_start = May 2015
| term_end =
| predecessor = Eliza Manningham-Buller
| successor =
| order2 =
| office2 = Chairman of the Environment Agency
| term_start2 = September 2014
| term_end2 = January 2016
| predecessor2 = Chris Smith
| successor2 =
| birth_name = Philip Graham Dilley
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|2|16|df=y}}
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| citizenship = United Kingdom
| nationality = British
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| alma_mater = Imperial College London
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Sir Philip Graham Dilley (born 16 February 1955) is a British engineer, businessman, and public servant. He was the chairman of the Environment Agency in England. Dilley is a former business adviser to David Cameron.{{cite web|title=Arup chairman joins UK PM's Business Advisory Group|url=http://www.arup.com/News/2010_10_October/01_Oct_2010_UK_Business_Advisory_Group|publisher=Arup|accessdate=30 December 2015|date=1 October 2010}}
Early life
Dilley was born on 16 February 1955.{{cite web|title=DILLEY, Sir Philip (Graham)|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U262627|website=Who's Who 2014|publisher=A & C Black|accessdate=16 February 2015|date=November 2014}} He studied civil engineering at Imperial College London, and graduated with a first-class bachelor's degree in 1976.
Career
=Arup=
Dilley joined Arup Group Limited on graduation, training as a structural engineer, specialising in building design where he turned architects drawings and residential plans into actual buildings and developments, in UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Progressing through the group, he led the project to build Kansai International Airport, Arup's first major project in Japan.{{cite web|title=Philip Dilley|url=http://www.arup.com/About_us/A_people_business/People/Philip_Dilley.aspx|publisher=Arup|accessdate=12 January 2016}}{{cite web|title=Philip Dilley — Thoughts|url=http://thoughts.arup.com/post/userposts/68|publisher=Arup|accessdate=12 January 2016}}
Promoted to the board, Dilley became chairman of the board. In this position, he accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron on trade missions to India,{{cite news|last1=Watt|first1=Nicholas|title=David Cameron seeks to impress India with his massive delegation|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/wintour-and-watt/2010/jul/27/davidcameron-india|accessdate=30 December 2015|work=The Guardian|date=27 July 2010}} China and Russia{{cite news|title=Interview: Arup's Philip Dilley is bringing bold ideas from the sketchpad to reality|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/markets/interview-arups-philip-dilley-is-bringing-bold-ideas-from-the-sketchpad-to-reality-7499177.html|accessdate=30 December 2015|work=Evening Standard|date=2 March 2012}} and was a guest at a state banquet at Windsor Castle when the Indian president was hosted by the Queen.{{cite web|title=Court Circular: Oct 28|url=http://lopapatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Times-Court-and-Social-28102009.pdf|accessdate=30 December 2015|date=28 October 2012|work=The Times}}
In 2012, Dilley was an elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects,{{cite web|title=Philip Dilley named Honorary Fellow by RIBA|url=http://www.arup.com/News/2012_09_September/27_Sep_Arup_Chairman_Philip_Dilley_Honorary_RIBA_Fellow.aspx|publisher=Arup|accessdate=12 January 2016|date=27 September 2012}} and held a non-executive position at Grosvenor Group.{{cite web|title=Philip Dilley — Non-Executive Director|url=http://www.grosvenor.com/about-grosvenor/our-people/profile/philip%20dilley/|publisher=Grosvenor Group|accessdate=12 January 2016}}
=Public service=
Since July 2011, Dilley has been a member of the Council of Imperial College London. On 18 May 2015, he was appointed Chairman of the council, succeeding Baroness Manningham-Buller, to serve a four-year term.{{cite web|last1=Miller|first1=Tom|title=Alumnus Sir Philip Dilley appointed next Chair of Imperial's Council|url=http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_10-3-2015-10-11-32|publisher=Imperial College London|accessdate=30 December 2015|date=10 March 2015}}
From 2012 to 2014, Dilley served as Chairman of London First.{{cite web|title=London First appoints John Allan as Chairman|url=http://londonfirst.co.uk/london-first-appoints-john-allan-as-chairman/|publisher=London First|accessdate=12 January 2016|date=18 November 2011}}
=Environment Agency: 2014–2016=
Dilley was appointed as the Environment Agency's chairman in September 2014,{{cite web|title=Sir Philip Dilley|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/philip-dilley|website=gov.uk|publisher=UK government|accessdate=7 October 2014}} succeeding Chris Smith in the post.
In December 2015, during the unprecedented flooding of northern England, he was criticised for failing to cut short a holiday to Barbados to lead the flood response.{{cite news|last1=Rayner|first1=Gordon|title=Environment Agency 'misled the public' over chairman's movements amid flood disaster|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/12073404/Environment-Agency-misled-the-public-over-chairmans-movements-amid-flood-disaster.html|accessdate=30 December 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 December 2015}} Although only required to work a three-day week for his £100k-a-year job, according to The Independent he had promised on appointment that he would work six or seven days a week and turn up in his Wellington boots if there was a crisis. His staff admitted he had been trying to avoid media scrutiny.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-flooding-environment-agency-chair-sir-philip-dilley-promised-to-turn-up-in-his-wellingtons-very-a6791926.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-flooding-environment-agency-chair-sir-philip-dilley-promised-to-turn-up-in-his-wellingtons-very-a6791926.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Sir Philip Dilley promised to 'turn up in his Wellingtons in a flooding crisis' when he first got the job|author=Caroline Mortimer|work=The Independent|date=31 December 2015|accessdate=4 January 2016}}
In January 2016, The Sunday Times described the Environment Agency's statement that Dilley's trip to Barbados was a family visit as a "Windies whopper" and an "attempt to mislead the public." The family had indeed been at their villa in Barbados but Lady Dilley is from Jamaica −1200 miles away and has no connection with Barbados. When interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster following suggestions he should resign, Conservative MP Nigel Evans agreed Dilley should spend more time in Barbados.{{cite news|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1654846.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114195609/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1654846.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2016|title=Flood chief is caught out by Windies whopper|work=The Sunday Times|author=Gadher, Dipesh |date= 10 January 2016|accessdate= 10 January 2016}} In contrast, in the same newspaper Jeremy Clarkson wrote: "We pay him to do a job. And now we must leave him alone so that he can get on and do it."{{cite news|last1=Clarkson|first1=Jeremy|title=Pipe down, mudslingers. It was Frank, not Phil, that soaked the north|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/columns/jeremyclarkson/article1651511.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114202334/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/columns/jeremyclarkson/article1651511.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2016|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=The Sunday Times|date=3 January 2016}}
Dilley resigned as chairman of the Environment Agency on 11 January 2016. He claimed he was stepping down because “expectations” of his role have changed to mean he has to be “available at short notice throughout the year”.{{cite news|title=Sir Philip Dilley quits as Environment Agency chairman after Barbados holiday during floods|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12093502/Sir-Philip-Dilley-quits-as-Environment-Agency-chairman.html|accessdate=11 January 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=11 January 2016 |author=Dominiczak, Peter}}
Honours
Dilley was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to engineering.{{cite news|title=Queen's birthday honours list 2014: Knights|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/13/queens-birthday-honours-knights|accessdate=7 October 2014|work=The Guardian|date=13 June 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/new-environment-agency-head-sir-philip-dilley-wont-mind-getting-his-feet-wet-9936986.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/new-environment-agency-head-sir-philip-dilley-wont-mind-getting-his-feet-wet-9936986.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=New Environment Agency head Sir Philip Dilley won't mind getting his feet wet|work=The Independent|date=19 December 2014|accessdate=23 May 2015|last=Bawden|first=Tom}}
Personal life
Dilley and his second wife June own a holiday home in Barbados.{{cite news|last1=Ward|first1=Victoria|title=Environment Agency chairman faces renewed calls to quit as it emerges wife 'not from Barbados'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/flooding/12091594/Sir-Philip-Dilleys-wife-not-from-Barbados.html|accessdate=12 January 2016|work=The Telegraph|date=10 January 2016}}
References
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Category:Alumni of Imperial College London
Category:British business executives