Michael Bichard, Baron Bichard

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Michael George Bichard, Baron Bichard , KCB , FIPD , FRSA , CIMgt (born January 31, 1947 in Southampton ) is a former British civil servant and life peer . He was Director of the Institute for Government from September 2008 to July 2010 . In January 2008 he became Chairman of the Design Council .

life and career

Bichard studied law at Manchester University . There he obtained a Bachelor of Laws ( LLB ) degree . He studied social sciences at Birmingham University and graduated with a Master of Social Science ( MSocSci ).

From 1969 to 1973 Bichard worked as a lawyer at the Borough Council of Reading , first as a clerk ( articled clerk ), from 1971 as a lawyer ( Solicitor , Senior Solicitor ). From 1973 to 1977 he was an official contact ( County Liaison Officer ) at the County Council in the county of Berkshire . From 1977 to 1980 he was then Chief Executive Officer at the London Borough of Lambeth . From 1980 to 1986 Bichard was Chief Executive Officer of the London Borough of Brent , then from 1986 to 1990 in the same position at County Council in Gloucestershire .

From 1989 to 1992 Bichard was a member of the Economic and Social Research Council . In 1990 he became Chief Executive Officer of the Benefits Agency . He stayed there until 1995. In 1995 he was State Secretary ( Permanent Secretary ) in the British Ministry of Labor ( Department for Employment ). After its merger with the Department for Education (DfE) to form the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), he became Permanent Secretary of the newly created Ministry, under Gillian Shephard and from 1997 under David Blunkett . During his tenure, he introduced several reforms aimed at modernizing the ministry. This included the introduction of modern information technology and the use of new media and means of communication . He was responsible for a number of major changes in education policy , such as the introduction of the Learning and Skills Council to finance professional development and apprenticeships .

He resigned from the civil service in May 2001 when the DfEE and the UK Department for Social Security were split into the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions .

From September 2001 to August 2008, Bichard was Rector of the University of the Arts London . Since 2002 he has been director of the River and Rowing Museum Foundation . From 2002 to 2008 he was the director of Henley Management College .

In 2004 he was appointed by Home Secretary David Blunkett to chair an investigation into the Soham murders in Cambridgeshire into the disappearance and murder of two 10-year-old girls. Since then this has been known as the "Bichard Inquiry".

From 2003 to 2008 he was Non-Executive Director of RSe Consulting , a consulting firm , the strategic and management consultancy services provides for municipal administration available, and in 2008 part of the Tribal Group Plc was.

In April 2005, Bichard became chairman of the Legal Services Commission. There he carried out a series of reform measures to modernize legal aid . Since 2007 he has been chairman of the Film Club . Bichard has been chairman of the Design Council since 2008 . From 2001 to 2008 he was also chairman of the charity organization Rathbone , which is active in the field of education and youth development .

In September 2008, Bichard stepped down from the Legal Services Commission and Rathbone when he became director of the Institute for Government . He has also been a member of the Globe Foundation's Board of Trustees since 2009 .

Bichard is married to Christine Bichard. He is the father of three children, two daughters and one son.

Membership in the House of Lords

On February 5, 2010, it was announced that he would be named a Life Peer . On March 24, 2010, he was made a Life Peer. He bears the title of Baron Bichard , of Nailsworth in the County of Gloucestershire. On March 29, 2010, he was officially inducted into the House of Lords . Bichard took his oath and was assisted by Tessa Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone and Herman Ouseley, Baron Ouseley .

Awards

Bichard was named Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honors .

Bichard also holds several honorary doctorates , including Leeds Metropolitan University , University of Birmingham , Middlesex University , Southampton Institute (2002), Bradford University and Cranfield University .

He is a Fellow of the Institute Personnel and Development (FIPD) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), as well as a Companion of the Institute of Management (CIMgt).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Order of the Bath article from June 12, 1999 on BBC News
  2. ↑ a b c Sir Michael Bichard, KCB Debretts (available online)
  3. ↑ The International Who's Who 2004 (excerpts online at Google Books)
  4. ↑ Michael Bichard ( Memento of the original from September 26, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Conference website The Learning Age: Towards a Europe of Knowledge @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lifelonglearning.co.uk
  5. ↑ Whitehall in waiting article at Timeshighereducation (available online)
  6. ↑ Sir Michael Birchard ( Memento of the original dated November 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Design Council website @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.designcouncil.org.uk
  7. ↑ The Bichard Inquiry Report ( Memento of the original from April 4, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Home Office website @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / police.homeoffice.gov.uk
  8. ↑ Sir Michael Bichard KCB becomes Chair of the Design Council ( Memento of the original from November 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Press release on the Design Council website @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.designcouncil.org.uk
  9. ^ House of Lords Appointments Commission - new non-party-political peers message on the homepage of the House of Lords Appointments Commission of February 5, 2010
  10. ^ London Gazette March 29, 2010 issue
  11. ↑ House of Lords minutes of the meeting of March 29, 2010
personal data
SURNAME Bichard, Michael, Baron Bichard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bichard, Michael George, Baron Bichard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British civil servant
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Southampton