Sir Ian Cheshire

Sir Ian Cheshire is Chairman of Barclays UK and of Debenhams PLC. He also works with government departments across Whitehall in his role as Government Lead Non-Executive.

He worked for the home improvement retailing group Kingfisher PLC between 1998 and 2015, including 7 years as Group Chief Executive. He was also a trustee of Business in the Community, Chair of the British Retailing Consortium, and Chair of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s Advisory Board.

He currently sits on the World Wildlife Fund’s Council of Ambassadors and is a trustee of the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation.

In 2011, Sir Ian headed up the Ecosystem Markets Task Force, an independent, business-led programme which brought together experts from a range of sectors to look at how UK businesses can drive sustainable economic growth and profits. He was also a member of the government-appointed Business Taskforce, which published recommendations and principles for cutting EU red tape in 2013.

Sir Ian was knighted in 2014 for his services to business, sustainability and the environment. He is also a Chevalier of the Ordre National du Merite (National Order of Merit) of France and has won a number of awards for his contributions to retailing and sustainable business, including the Fortune WEF award for leadership in the circular economy and Sustainable Business Leader of the Year.  Sir Ian is a Fellow of the RSA.