Chief Executive at BP from 1995-2007, a period that has been described by the Financial Times as the company’s “golden period of expansion and diversification”, the businessman John Browne, Lord Browne of Madingley, is celebrated for his leading role in the energy giants’ increased move towards the use of renewable energy sources. It was also during his time at BP that Browne was knighted by the Queen in 1998. Alongside his successful career in the energy industry, Browne’s extensive experience also lead to several Non-Executive Director roles at international organisations including Intel and Goldman Sachs. Throughout his life, Browne has also been an integral part of the UK Parliament during which time he was appointed a number of key roles and a crossbench member in the House of Lords since 2001 when he was named as one of the “people’s peers”.

As an influential public figure, Browne has since been named President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2006 -2011 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2006. He also holds a selection of advisory chairman roles for notable institutions including the Blavatnik School of Government and the Courtauld Institute of Art. His fascinating life in the world of business has also led to success as an author, most notably his memoirs ‘Beyond Business’ published in 2010, ‘Seven Elements that Changed the World’ in 2013 and his latest book, ‘The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good Business’ in 2014.