Keith Williams (businessman)
Keith Williams is a British businessman, and the non-executive chairman of Royal Mail.
Keith Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | Teesside, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Employer | Halfords Royal Mail |
| Known for | Royal Mail (Jan 2018–) Halfords (July 2018–) British Airways (2011–16) John Lewis (until 2019) |
| Title | Chairman of Royal Mail and Halfords |
| Term | January 2018 – Present (Halfords) July 2018 – Present (Royal Mail) |
Early life
Williams was born on Teesside, England,[1] and received an undergraduate degree from the University of Liverpool.[2]
Career
Williams spent his early career with Boots, Apple Inc., and Reckitt and Colman.[3]
In 1998, Williams left Reckitt and Colman, and joined British Airways, rising to CEO in 2011, and then chairman.[1][4][5] In April 2016, he was succeeded by Álex Cruz as chairman.[5]
Williams has been a non-executive director and deputy chairman of John Lewis, and a non-executive director of Aviva until May 2019.[3][6]
Williams has been the chairman of Halfords since July 2018.[3]
In May 2019, Williams, then deputy chairman, and a board member since January 2018, succeeded Les Owen as chairman of Royal Mail.[6]
In May 2020, Rico Back resigned as CEO of Royal Mail with immediate effect, and Williams, the chairman, replaced him as executive chairman.[4][7]
Williams is the independent chair of the Government-supported Rail Review.[3]
Honours
In 2019, Williams was awarded an honorary doctorate by Teesside University.[1]
References
- "Honorary Graduates | About us | Teesside University".
- "Keith Williams - Biography". marketscreener.com. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- "Keith Williams - Halfords Group PLC".
- Bow, Michael (15 May 2020). "Royal Mail chief executive Rico Back in shock exit from postal giant". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- Davies, Rob (6 November 2015). "British Airways: Alex Cruz to replace Keith Williams as chairman". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- "Keith Williams to succeed les Owen as Chairman of Royal Mail in May 2019".
- Gill, Oliver (15 May 2020). "Royal Mail boss Rico Back ousted with £450,000 payoff". The Telegraph.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Willie Walsh |
CEO of British Airways 2011–2016 |
Succeeded by Álex Cruz |
| Preceded by Dennis Millard |
Chairman of Halfords 2018–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Les Owen |
Chairman of Royal Mail 2018–present | |