Trustee Profile - Sir Richard Sykes

Sir Richard Sykes

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Sir Richard is Chairman of The Royal Institution of Great Britain and also Vice-Chairman at Swiss life sciences company Lonza Group.  He remains Chairman of The UK Stem Cell Foundation, Chairman of the Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC), Non-Executive Chairman of Circassia Holdings Ltd, Non-Executive Chairman of Omnicyte Ltd, Executive Chairman of Toumaz Holdings plc and is an Advisory member of Siemens Holdings plc and the Virgin Group Advisory Board.

Prior to that, he was Senior Independent Director, Non-Executive Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of ENRC from 2007 - June 2011, Chairman of NHS London from December 2008 to July 2010, Rector of Imperial College London from 2000 - 2008 and the Senior Independent Director of Rio Tinto plc from 1997 to 2008.  He has over 30 years of experience within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, serving as Chief Executive and Chairman of GlaxoWellcome from 1995 to 2000 and then as Chairman of GlaxoSmithkline until 2002.

Internationally, he is Chairman of the International Advisory Board, A*Star Biomedical Research Council, Singapore and a Board member of EDBI.  He was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Singapore in 2004 for his contribution to the development of the country's biomedical sciences industry.

Sir Richard holds a number of degrees and awards from institutions both in the UK and overseas.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences, and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal College of Pathologists and Royal College of Physicians. He is also President of the R&D Society, a position he has held since July 2002.

He is a Fellow of Imperial College London and Imperial College School of Medicine, King's College London and Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales, Cardiff and the University of Central Lancashire. 

Sir Richard received a Knighthood in the 1994 New Year's Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry.