Don Cruickshank
Industrial Partner
Don has had a diverse career spanning a variety of positions across the finance, marketing and public sectors.
He became Chairman of the London Stock Exchange in May 2000, a position from which he stepped down in July 2003. Until recently he was also Chairman of the media group, SMG.
In 1998, Don had been appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, to be Chairman of the Government�s Review of the UK Banking Sector. His report was published in March 2000.
Don spent three years as Chairman of Action 2000, the UK Government�s millennium bug campaign. He was Director General of OFTEL, the telecom industry�s UK regulator, between 1993 and 1998.
He was Chief Executive of the National Health Service in Scotland from 1989 to 1993 and is a former Chairman of the Wandsworth Health Authority. These appointments have given Don a detailed understanding of the challenges within the NHS and he has continued to be engaged in health care policy over the last few years.
Don had previously spent five years as Managing Director of the Virgin Group, a position he took up in 1984 after leaving his role as Managing Director of the Information and Entertainment division of Pearson. Before that, he had been Commercial Director of Times Newspapers, which he joined from McKinsey, where he had worked since 1972.
Don is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland, graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1963 and holds an MBA from the Manchester Business School. Don is a member of the Financial Reporting Council.
In addition to his chairmanship of Clinovia, Don is Chairman of Formscape Limited, a private equity-backed software company. In June 2005, Don was appointed a non-executive of QUALCOMM Inc, a Nasdaq listed company that is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless products and services, headquartered in San Diego, California. He has also been a non-executive director of T&F Informa plc and Christian Salvesen plc.
In June 2006, Don was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List for public service.
