Robin Southwell, OBE, is a British businessman. He is the UK head of the aerospace company EADS (now Airbus). He was born on 10 April 1960 , the son of Peter and Susan Southwell, and lives in Cobham, Surrey. He was educated at Finchley Manor Hill Comprehensive school in Barnet, and went on to read economics and history at the University of Hull.[1]
Robin Southwell OBE | |
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Born | 10 April 1960 |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University of Hull |
Occupation | CEO of EADS UK (now Airbus) |
Spouse | Sally Deakin |
Parents |
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Career
editSouthwell worked for British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) from 1981 to 2000. From 2001 to 2002, he was CEO of W S Atkins. He joined EADS in January 2003, initially as CEO of Airtanker Ltd. In July 2005, he was appointed CEO of EADS UK.[2]
Other appointments
editOther appointments include:[2]
- Chairman of Quest Aviation Services, Concord Ltd, and Airbase Group Ltd
- President of ADS
- Trustee of the Royal Air Force Museum
- Non-executive director of Farnborough International Ltd
- Governor of Parkside School
- UK Business Ambassador (appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron)
- Chairman of AERALIS Ltd
Personal life
editIn 1988, he married Sally Deakin and they have one son and one daughter.[1]
Controversy
editOn 10 May 2014, The Independent newspaper published a report detailing the circumstances surrounding the demise of the company Corporate Jet Services. This company collapsed in 2007, owing its main creditor, HBOS, about £100m. Robin Southwell said via his lawyers that he "was appointed by HBOS to assist a company in difficulty and was only ever a non-executive director that acted on the bank's instructions".[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Who's Who 2011, page 2158
- ^ a b "Forthcoming events - Biography of Robin Southwell". Ccfgb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Harper, Tom (10 May 2014). "Exclusive: The Cameron crony, the private jet company, and a crash landing that cost taxpayers £100m - UK Politics". Independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 19 May 2014.