Mervyn Davies, Baron Davies of Abersoch

This article is about the former banker and UK government minister. For the rugby player, see Mervyn Davies.

Evan Mervyn Davies, Baron Davies of Abersoch, CBE (born 1952) is a former banker and was a UK government minister until May 2010.

His role as Minister of State for Trade Promotion and Investment involved oversight of UK Trade and Investment - the United Kingdom's export support and inward investment agency - and he had dual accountability to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In July 2010 he joined Corsair Capital as a partner, and in August 2010 took up the role of Non-Executive Chairman of PineBridge Investments, an asset management company owned by Richard Li's Pacific Century Group.

Career

Lord Davies was Chairman of Standard Chartered PLC between November 2006 and January 14, 2009^[1] when he was appointed as a Minister by Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.^[2]

Having previously worked at Citigroup, Davies joined Standard Chartered in December 1997, working as Executive Director of the group's Hong Kong Office (its largest market) before being promoted to Group Chief Executive in November 2001.

Prior to his appointment as a Minister, he was Chairman of Nordic Windpower and held non-executive directorships with Breakingviews Limited, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Trinity Limited and was on the Advisory Committees of Corsair Capital LLC and the UK India Business Council. Until 2008, Davies was also a director of Tesco plc.

He completed the Programme for Management Development at Harvard Business School and is a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers.

Public Appointments and Honours

Lord Davies of Abersoch is the Chair of the Council of the University of Wales, Bangor and a governor of the London School of Economics. Davies is Chairman of The Roundhouse's Major Projects Board and Chairman of the Corporate Board of the Royal Academy of Arts. He is also a Trustee of the Royal Academy Trust and the Sir Kyffin Williams Trust and has been a Director of the Hong Kong Association since August 2007.

In May 2007, Davies was appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as Chairman of the Interim Executive Committee of the International Centre for Financial Regulation. In June 2007, he was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Business Council for Britain. Davies is a member of the Mayor of London’s International Business Advisory Council London and is one of the UK Government’s Business Ambassadors. In October 2008, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR appointed Davies a member of the Task Force on Economic Challenges.

Davies was awarded a CBE for his services to the financial sector and the community in Hong Kong in June 2002 and is a JP in Hong Kong. Upon taking up his ministerial post, he was appointed a life peer as Baron Davies of Abersoch in the County of Gwynedd, so as to gain a seat in the House of Lords to be held accountable for his ministerial responsibilities.

Lord Davies is married with two children and is a fluent Welsh speaker. He is a keen sportsman and is interested in Welsh art, music and reading.

See also

• Standard Chartered Bank

References

1. ^ Standard Chartered Press Release - Board Changes
2. ^ 10 Downing Street - New Minister appointed

External links

• Mervyn Davies profile at Standard Chartered Bank website