Richard Evans (businessman)

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Sir Richard Harry Evans, CBE, Hon DTech, Hon FRAeS (less formally known as Dick Evans before and after his knighthood) was born in Blackpool in 1942 and was formerly chairman of BAE Systems. In 2001 he became Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire. Sir Richard was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 1987 for services to export and was knighted in the 1996 birthday honours.

Sir Richard was educated at the Royal Masonic School in Bushey, Hertfordshire. In 1960, he joined the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and was soon moved into the then newly-formed Ministry of Technology.

In 1967, Sir Richard was appointed as Government Contracts Officer at Ferranti in Manchester and two years later joined British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) at Warton, Lancashire. He was promoted to Commercial Director of what had then become the Warton Division of British Aerospace (BAe) in 1978. Following BAe Aircraft Group managerial changes in January 1983, Sir Richard was appointed Deputy Managing Director for BAe Warton and a member of the Aircraft Group Board. Sir Richard was appointed Chief Executive of the Company in 1990 and concurrently has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Airbus Industrie since 1992. In June 1992 he was elected for a one-year term as President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies.

On May 1, 1998, Sir Richard was appointed Chairman of British Aerospace plc. In 1997 Sir Richard joined the Board of United Utilities plc as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed Chairman on January 1, 2001. In 1998 he became a Non Executive Director of NatWest plc and resigned in February 2000. In 2001 Sir Richard was installed as the second Chancellor of The University of Central Lancashire. In October 2006 Sir Richard was appointed as Chairman of The Board of Directors of State Holding Company Samruk, Kazakhstan.

Sir Richard has also been elected an Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council. During his chairmanship of BAE Systems he was the most senior supporter of the BAE Systems Charity Challenge, a body which co-ordinates and supports charitable activities of its employees. He is married with three daughters and is a keen golfer and classic car enthusiast.