We are greatly saddened to announce the death of our Patron, President, and previous Chairman for over 20 years
Sir Ronald Halstead, CBE, MA, Hon. DSc, FRSC
Education
Sir Ronald was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar school and at Queens’ College, Cambridge. He has an honours degree in natural sciences and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Companion of the British Institute of Management. He was awarded an Honorary DSc from the University of Reading in 1982 and from the University of Lancaster in 1987. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of Queens’ College, Cambridge in 1985.
Honours
Sir Ronald was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the food industry in the Queens’ Birthday Honours on 12 June 1976 and knighted in the Queens’ Birthday Honours on 15 June 1985.
Career
Sir Ronald joined the Beecham group in 1954 and, after a number of appointments in both the UK and the USA, he became Managing Director (Consumer Products) and his career culminated in being Chairman and Chief Executive 1984-1985.
Past Appointments
• Joined the board of British Steel in 1979 and was Deputy Chairman from 1986 to 1994
• A trustee for Institute for Economic Affairs from 1980 to 1993
• A Director and Hon Treasurer Centre for Policy Studies from 1984 to 1993
• Chairman of the Industrial Development Advisory Board of the Department of Trade and Industry from 1985 to 1993
• Chairman of CAB International from 1995 to 1998
• A council member of the University of Reading from 1978 to 1998
• A member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission from 1993 to 1999
• A member of the UKTI International Sectors Advisory Panel from 2001 to 2004
• Vice Chairman and Governor of Ashridge Management College from 1977 to 2006
• Deputy Chairman of the Specialist Schools Trust until 2007
• He was also on the Inland Revenue’s advisory panel for Corporation Tax Reform
Current Appointments
• Patron (previous Chairman for 20 years and President) of the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council
• Council member of the European Policy Forum
• President of the Engineering Industries Association
• He is also on the advisory panel of APPG for Trade & Investment
