Speaker Biographies

Conference Chair Sir Michael Lyons

Sir Michael Lyons is Chairman of the BBC Trust. He is also Chairman of the English Cities Fund and led the Lyons Inquiry into the functions and funding of local government (published March 2007).

A former Deputy Chairman and Acting Chairman of the Audit Commission (2003 to 2006) and Professor of Public Policy at Birmingham University (2001 to 2006), he was knighted in 2000 for services to local government after serving as Chief Executive of three major local authorities: Birmingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Wolverhampton Borough Council.

He is a past Chairman of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a former non-executive director of Central Television Ltd (2003 to 2006). He is a non-executive director of Mouchel plc, Wragge & Co and SQW Ltd.

His early career was as an economist working in the public sector, and this followed lecturing labour economics at the University of Nottingham.