Robert Swannell
{{Short description|British businessman and public servant (born 1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Swannell
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Robert William Ashburnham Swannell
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|11|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Nanyuki, Kenya
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| education =
| alma mater =
| occupation =
| known for =
| title = Former chairman, Marks & Spencer
| term = 2011–2017
| predecessor =
| successor = Archie Norman
| boards = Marks & Spencer
| children = 2
}}
Robert William Ashburnham Swannell {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 18 November 1950) is a British businessman, public servant and former investment banker. He was the chairman of Marks & Spencer from 2011 to 2017, and chairman of the Shareholder Executive and its successor UK Government Investments from 2014 to 2021.
Personal life
Swannell was born on 18 November 1950 in Nanyuki, Kenya.{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ba442d7a-1d1c-11e2-a17f-00144feabdc0 |title=Calm in the eye of a public storm |work=Financial Times |date=28 October 2012 |last=Hill |first=Andrew |access-date=6 August 2024}} He attended Rugby School in Warwickshire where he was chairman of the governing board.{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7957217/Robert-Swannell-discretion-assured-in-dealings-with-the-human-banker.html |title=Robert Swannell: discretion assured in dealings with the human banker |date=20 August 2010 |work=The Daily Telegraph}} Swannell is married and has two children.
Career
Swannell qualified as a chartered accountant and was later called to the bar.{{Cite web |title=Robert Swannell |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/robert-swannell |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}
Swannell worked in investment banking for 33 years with Schroders and Citigroup.{{cite web|url=https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/our-leadership-team/team-folder/robert-swannell |title=Robert Swannell |publisher=Corporate.marksandspencer.com |date= |accessdate=5 May 2017}} During this time he was senior non-executive director at British Land and 3i Group, and chairman of HMV from February 2009 to March 2011.
He was the chairman of Marks & Spencer from January 2011{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Andy |date=2010-08-24 |title=Marks and Spencer defender to become the company’s new boss |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/8349338.marks-spencer-defender-become-companys-new-boss/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=The Northern Echo |language=en}} until September 2017, when he was succeeded by Archie Norman.{{cite web|author=Zoe Wood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/05/m-and-s-archie-norman-chairman-marks-spencer |title=M&S appoints Archie Norman as new chairman | Business |publisher=The Guardian |date= |accessdate=5 May 2017}}
At the Shareholder Executive, which oversees the UK government's financial interests in a range of state-owned enterprises, he was appointed as a non-executive director in late 2013 and as chair in September 2014. The body was merged into UK Government Investments in 2016, and he continued as chair of UKGI until 2021. During this time the Post Office scandal surrounding wrongful prosecutions was unfolding, and in 2014 Swannell told the public inquiry that the Post Office became UKGI's top priority in 2019, after a defeat in the High Court.{{Cite news |last=Croft |first=Jane |date=2024-07-09 |title=Post Office Horizon inquiry told of ‘incomplete curiosity’ and ‘toxic culture’ |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/09/post-office-horizon-inquiry-told-of-incomplete-curiosity-and-toxic-culture |access-date=2024-07-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Honours
In the 2018 New Year Honours he was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the public, retail and financial sectors.{{Cite web |date=30 December 2017 |title=Robert SWANNELL {{!}} Order of the British Empire |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2937971 |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=London Gazette}}{{cite web |author=Alan Tovey |date=29 December 2017 |title=Retail's 'power couple' recognised for achievements in New Year's Honours |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/12/29/retails-power-couple-recognised-achievements-new-years-honours/ |accessdate=30 Dec 2017 |publisher=The Telegraph}}
References
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Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Marks & Spencer people