Richard Evans (businessman)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir Richard Harry Evans, CBE, Hon DTech, Hon FRAeS (less formally known as Dick Evans before and after his knighthood) was born in Blackpool in 1942 and was formerly chairman of BAE Systems. In 2001 he became Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire. Evans was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 1987 for services to export and was knighted in the 1996 birthday honours.
Evans was educated at the Royal Masonic School in Bushey, Hertfordshire. In 1960, he joined the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and was soon moved into the then newly-formed Ministry of Technology.
In 1967, Evans was appointed as Government Contracts Officer at Ferranti in Manchester and two years later joined British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) at Warton, Lancashire. He was promoted to Commercial Director of what had then become the Warton Division of British Aerospace (BAe) in 1978. Following BAe Aircraft Group managerial changes in January 1983, Evans was appointed Deputy Managing Director for BAe Warton and a member of the Aircraft Group Board. Evans was appointed Chief Executive of the Company in 1990. In June 1992 he was elected for a one-year term as President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies.
On May 1, 1998, Evans was appointed Chairman of British Aerospace plc. In 1997 he joined the Board of United Utilities plc as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed Chairman on January 1, 2001. In 1998 he became a Non Executive Director of NatWest plc and resigned in February 2000. In 2001 Evans was installed as the second Chancellor of The University of Central Lancashire. In October 2006 Evans was appointed as Chairman of The Board of Directors of State Holding Company Samruk, Kazakhstan.
Evans has also been elected an Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council. During his chairmanship of BAE Systems he was the most senior supporter of the BAE Systems Charity Challenge, a body which co-ordinates and supports charitable activities of its employees. He is married with three daughters and is a keen golfer and classic car enthusiast.
[edit] Trivia
At the 2003 Annual General Meeting of BAE Systems, a shareholder unflatteringly addressed Evans as "Captain Pugwash"[1].
