Reappointment of Economic and Social Research Council Chair

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts today (25th February 2013) announced the reappointment of Dr Alan Gillespie CBE as the chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The reappointment is for four years which will run from 10 June 2013 until 9 June 2017. Dr Gillespie’s first term as ESRC chair runs from 10 June 2009 to 09 June 2013. His remuneration for this position is £16,430 for on average 24 days per annum. He does not hold any other public appointments.

Dr Gillespie was born in Northern Ireland and educated at the University of Cambridge where he gained his BA, MA and PhD. His Doctoral thesis was entitled “Growth Centres and regional economic development in Northern Ireland”. His banking career began at Citibank in 1976 before working for Goldman Sachs & Co from 1986 to 1999 as Partner and Managing Director. From 2001 to 2008 he was Chairman of the Ulster Bank Group and in 2008 he was appointed Chairman of Alliance & Leicester plc, until the takeover by Banco Santander.

Dr Gillespie was also a Non-Executive Director of Elan Corporation plc, 1996-2006 and is currently Senior Independent Director of United Business Media plc, and Senior Independent Director of Old Mutual plc. In the public sector, he has been Chairman of the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board (1996-2001), Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Development Corporation (1999-2002) and Chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (2005 to 2012).

Dr Gillespie was a member of the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute of Management Studies at the University of Cambridge and is currently Patron of the Queen’s University of Belfast Foundation. He has received Honorary Degrees from the Queen’s University of Belfast and the University of Ulster for services to the Northern Ireland economy. In 2008, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge.

About The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.