Stephen A. Carter

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For other persons named Stephen Carter, see Stephen Carter (disambiguation).

Stephen Carter CBE (born 12 February 1964), is a Scottish business executive, named by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 7 January 2008 as the Chief of strategy and principal adviser in 10 Downing Street.[1][2]

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[edit] Biography

Born in Scotland, Carter was educated at Currie High School, Edinburgh. From 1982-87 he studied a law degree at the University of Aberdeen, where he graduated with LLB Hons and was the student president in 1985-86. He later attended the London Business School, Leading The Firm programme in 1995; and Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program in 1997.

[edit] Career

After graduation from the University of Aberdeen, he started as a trainee with the advertising agency J Walter Thompson UK. He was made Managing Director in 1995 and Chief Executive two years later. In 2000, Carter became Chief Operating Officer of UK cable TV company NTL, guiding the company to established a leading position in the UK broadband market.[citation needed] As a NYSE listed company, he also presided over the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings of NTL, which at the time had debts of £12bn.[3] Carter left NTL at the end of 2002 as the Group was poised to exit Chapter 11, with a payoff of £1.7m in compensation, including a £600,000 bonus. After the company resolved a class action law suit brought by shareholders by paying out $9Million in compensation in late 2007, it emerged in papers released by the court that Carter's alleged comment about shareholders was: "What I tell them is nine-tenths bullshit and one-tenth selected facts.”[4]

On 21 January 2003, Carter was named as the first chief executive of UK media watchdog Ofcom. He stepped down in October 2006 before taking the top job at Brunswick Group, whose clients include BP British Airways, BT Group, and EMI.[5]

To take up his new role as the chief of strategy and principal adviser in 10 Downing Street, he had to step down from his jobs as group chief executive at Brunswick Group LLP; non-executive director posts at Royal Mail Holdings plc and Travis Perkins; and as a commissioner of the UK Commission for Employment & Skills.

[edit] Personal life

Carter is married to Australian Anna whom he met at JWT, and has a young family of two children. A private man, he plays golf, enjoys archery and pool.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Prime Minister appoints Chief of Strategy and Principal Advisor. 10 Downing Street (7 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  2. ^ Brown names No 10 strategy chief. BBC News (7 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  3. ^ Jane Martinson (September 7 2004). Stephen Carter: 360 degrees. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  4. ^ David Leppard (January 13, 2008). Gordon Brown’s new spin doctor ‘deceived shareholders’. The Sunday Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  5. ^ Ofcom News Release: Appointment of Stephen Carter as Chief Executive, 21 January 2003