Nick Kuenssberg

Nicholas Christopher Kuenssberg OBE (October 28, 1942 – October 1, 2023) was a Scottish textiles executive and investor.

Early life and education

Kuenssberg was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to Ekkehard von Kuenssberg CBE, a German-born doctor, and Constance Kuenssberg (née Hardy), also a doctor. His father, a skilled skier, left Germany for Scotland in 1933, avoiding recruitment into the SS.

Kuenssberg attended Edinburgh Academy, where he captained the cricket team and participated in school plays, including playing Macbeth. He studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Wadham College, Oxford, followed by studies at Manchester Business School.

Career

His career in the textile industry began at Coats Patons, a cotton thread manufacturer, where he managed operations in South America and Europe. He later served as a main board director of Coats Viyella and then as managing director of Dawson International, a knitwear firm.

After leaving Dawson International in 1995, Kuenssberg held numerous boardroom and committee roles. These included chairmanships at Stoddard International, Keronite, and Scott & Fyfe.

Kuenssberg held the position of chairman at Social Investment Scotland, a body that provides tax relief to investors supporting social enterprises and community groups. His non-commercial roles included board positions at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and chairmanships at the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

In 2004, Kuenssberg was appointed OBE.

Personal life

Kuenssberg married Sally Robertson, daughter of Lord Robertson, in 1965, with whom he had three children: David, a director general at the Home Office; Kuenssberg, a former UK high commissioner and senior executive at Shell; and Laura, a BBC Television host.