John R. Steele

John Roderic Steele is an expert in international and European Union transport policy. Born in Wakefield, England on February 22, 1929, he was educated at Queen Elisabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, and Queen's College, Oxford University.

Career in the UK Civil Service

John Steele started his career in the UK Civil Service in 1951, as Assistant Principal in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, where he was involved in problems of airports policy. From 1954 till 1957, he was Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. He further served as Principal in the Road Transport Division (1957-1960) and Principal in the Sea Transport Division (1960-1962).

In 1964, he moved to the Board of Trade, later Department of Trade and Industry and now UK Trade and Industry, where he was Assistant Secretary in the Shipping Policy Division until 1967.

From 1967 till 1971, he was Counsellor for Shipping at the British Embassy in Washington D.C., with responsibility for UK-U.S. shipping relations.

Upon his return to London in 1971, he assumed the post of Assistant Secretary in the Civil Aviation Division of the Department of Trade and Industry. In 1973, he became Under Secretary in the Space Division, with responsibility for the UK's industrial space programme and relations with the European Space Agency (ESA). From 1975 till 1976 he served as Under Secretary in the General Division covering trade aspects of general economic policy, tariff and dumping.

In 1976 he became Deputy Secretary in the Department of Trade, responsible for bilateral trade relations and commodities policy. In 1977 he assumed responsibility for all shipping, marine and civil aviation questions. From 1980 till 1981, he was Deputy Secretary for industrial sponsorship, responsible for all manufacturing industries except electronics.

European Commission

In 1981, John Steele became Director General for Transport in the European Commission. In this role, he was instrumental in the formulation of EU policy towards all modes of transport, i.e. road, rail, maritime and civil aviation.

Private sector appointments

Upon his retirement from the European Commission in 1986, John Steele co-founded Prisma Consulting Group S.A., a private and independent advisory firm specialised in EU transport policy, with offices in Brussels, Belgium, and Geneva, Switzerland.

From 1987 till 1996, he served as non-executive Director of P&O Container Line, which later became Royal P&O Nedlloyd. He was Chairman of P&O European Transport Service between 1989 and 1990. From 1992 until 1999, he was non-executive Director of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), alongside its Chairman, Jeffrey Sterling, Baron Sterling of Plaistow, who remains a close personal friend.

John Steele also was a Member of the Dover Harbour Board (1990-1992). At various times he served as Director of Business Aircraft Users plc and of the British Business and General Aviation Association.

In his capacity as Chairman of Prisma Consulting Group S.A., he has been a retained advisor to numerous organisations and corporations from the transport sectors, including the Association of European Airlines, BAE Systems, British Airways, the European Commission, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), Scandinavian Airlines, Stena Line, the Swedish Shipowners' Association, and Swiss International Air Lines. In 2002 and 2003, he was the team leader on aviation for an overall transport sector review for the Government of Afghanistan.