Michael Lyons (BBC chairman)

For other people named Michael Lyons, see Michael Lyons (disambiguation).

Sir Michael Lyons (born 1949), is the Chairman of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation, as well as the non-executive chairman of the English Cities Fund and Participle Ltd.

He is a former Labour Party councillor and council chief executive in the United Kingdom, who has also been involved in some of the key central government commissions and reports into local government finance from 2000 to 2007.

Before the BBC

Michael Lyons was educated at Stratford Grammar School (London), Middlesex University, and at Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London. Whilst completing his formal education, he worked for two years as a part-time street trader at Bell St Market in London. Lyons then worked as a lecturer in economics at the Wallbrook College, London and the University of Nottingham.

Lyons worked as an economist working in the public sector, and between 1980 and 1983 served as an elected Labour councillor on Birmingham City Council. He then became Chief Executive of three significant local authorities: Wolverhampton Borough Council (1985–90); Nottinghamshire County Council (1990–94); and then Birmingham City Council (1994–2001). Lyons was knighted in January 2000 in recognition of his services to Local Government.

During 2004 he was the chairman of two successful government projects: "Review of Public Sector Relocation" on behalf of the Chancellor and Prime Minister, and "Corporate Governance Commission" on behalf of Cardiff City Council. He was also Deputy Chairman of the Audit Commission for two years until October 2006, serving for a while as Acting Chairman. In March 2007 he published his final report and recommendations from his three year independent Inquiry into the future role, function and funding of local government.

Lyons was the Head of Inlogov, the leading Local Government Public Policy school in the United Kingdom at Birmingham University from 2001 to 2006, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University.

In addition to his roles at the BBC and the English Cities Fund, Lyons is a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a non-executive director of Mouchel, Wragge & Co solicitors and SQW Group Ltd..

He is a former chairman of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and former member of the boards of City Pride, Birmingham Marketing Partnership and Millennium Point Property Trust Company.

He was previously a director of Central Independent Television, until 1993.

BBC Chairman

Template:BBCportal On 1 May 2007, Lyons became Chairman of the BBC Trust., which also carries the title BBC Chairman. He was appointed to the position after Michael Grade left the BBC to become Executive Chairman of rival broadcaster ITV. On 3 August 2007 a House of Lords all-party select committee criticised the way the appointment was handled, saying government ministers had too much influence over his appointment. Lyons dismissed the allegations, pledging "absolute independence and impartiality".

Personal

Lyons is married and has three children.

External Links

• BBC Trust biography
• English Cities Fund
• Participle
• The Lyons Inquiry into Local Government (2007)
• The Lyons Review (2004)