SIR Douglas Flint, the Glaswegian former chairman of banking giant HSBC, is taking up a new boardroom role.
Intellectual property commercialisation company IP Group announced yesterday that Sir Douglas, a Bachelor of Accountancy graduate from the University of Glasgow, would become its chairman with effect from November 1.
He became IP Group’s chairman-elect with effect from yesterday.
Sir Douglas retired as chairman of HSBC on September 30 last year, having been appointed to that post in December 2010. Before he became chairman, he was finance director of HSBC for 15 years.
He will replace Mike Humphrey as IP Group’s chairman.
IP Group noted it had announced in May that Mr Humphrey had indicated that, for personal reasons, he wished to retire and step down as non-executive chairman and director as soon as a suitable replacement was found.
Sir Douglas is chairman of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Just Finance Foundation, and a director of the Centre for Policy Studies, and he sits on the global advisory council of Motive Partners, a financial technology (fintech) specialist investment platform.
He is chairman of the corporate board of Cancer Research UK, and a trustee of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. In December, he was appointed by Chancellor Philip Hammond as City envoy to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative”.
Sir Douglas said: “I have long been fascinated by how to develop fully the exciting commercial opportunities that emerge from research developed within the world’s leading academic institutions, and I’m excited to be given the opportunity to chair one of the leading companies focused on backing and building world-changing businesses based on innovative science and technology.
“I’m very impressed with IP Group’s business model and am looking forward to working with the team to help deliver value for all stakeholders.”
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