Former Minister for Northern Ireland joins Rank board
Britain's former Minister for Northern Ireland and Conservative MP Sir Richard Needham will join the Rank board as non-executive director on 1 May.
Rank Group has appointed Britain’s former Minister for Northern Ireland and Conservative MP Sir Richard Needham to its board as non-executive director with effect from 1 May this year.
Sir Richard (pictured), 70, had a distinguished career in parliament culminating in his time as Britain’s longest serving Minister in Northern Ireland from 1985 to 1992 and as Minister of Trade from 1992 to 1995. He left politics in 1997 to focus on the private sector and has been a director of a number of public and private companies including Biocompatibles International, The Heart Hospital and Dyson where he was a director for more than 16 years.
He is currently a non-executive director of Avon Rubber, having served as chairman for five years, a non-executive director of Lonrho and non-executive chairman of VANE Minerals. He is also chairman of political consultancy Tetra Strategy, a director of Smarta Enterprises, an online resource for small businesses, and a non-executive director of NEC Europe, an internet services and systems solutions provider.
Ian Burke, Rank’s chairman and chief executive, said: “We believe that Sir Richard’s diverse experience in commerce and industry, and in government, will be of significant benefit to the future development of Rank.”