Robert Malpas
Sir Robert Malpas CBE FREng[1] FRSA (born 9 August 1927) is a British engineer and business man. Much of his career was spent with ICI. He was Chairman of ICI Europa Ltd and a member of the ICI Main Board before becoming a managing director of BP, Chairman of PowerGen and the Cookson Group, and Co-Chairman of Eurotunnel.
Early life
The son of Cheshyre Malpas and his wife Louise Marie Marcelle Malpas, he was educated at Taunton School and St George's College, Quilmes, Argentina, and then at the University of Durham, where he graduated BSc in Mechanical engineering with first class honours.[2]
Career
In 1948 Malpas joined Imperial Chemical Industries, remaining with the company until 1963. He then transferred to Alcudia SA, a Spanish company then almost half-owned by ICI, and in 1965 to ICI Europa Ltd, based in Brussels. He became Chairman of ICI Europa Ltd in 1973 and from 1975 to 1978 was a member of the ICI Main Board. From 1978 to 1982 he was President of Halcon International Inc., from 1983 to 1989 a Managing director of BP, from 1990 Chairman of PowerGen, from 1991 to 1998 Chairman of the Cookson Group, simultaneously serving as Co-Chairman of Eurotunnel from 1996 to 1998. From 1998 to 2002 he was Chairman of Ferghana Partners Ltd. He was also a director of Repsol SA (1989–2002), the BOC Group (1981–1996), Eurotunnel (1987–1999), Enagas, Spain (2002–2006), and Agcert PLC (2005–2008).[2]
In retirement, he is chairman of the board of RL Automotive.[3]
His book Energy for Planet Earth (1991), based on a series of articles which appeared in a special issue of Scientific American in 1990, considers the factors governing the way people use energy, dividing them into economic and social forces.[4]
Voluntary work and private life
In 1956 Malpas married firstly Josephine Dickenson. After her death in 2004 he married secondly, in 2005, Joan Holloway.[2]
He served as a Member of the Engineering Council from 1983 to 1988 and was its Vice-Chairman from 1984 to 1988; a member of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, 1983–1986; Chairman of the LINK Steering Group, 1987–1993 and of the Natural Environment Research Council, 1993–1996. In Who's Who he states his recreations as "Sport, music, theatre, golf".[2]
Publications
- Energy for Planet Earth (1991)[4]
Honours
- Order of Civil Merit, Spain, 1967[2]
- Fellow[5] of the Royal Academy of Engineering[2][6]
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1975[2]
- Hon. Doctorate, University of Loughborough, 1983[2]
- Hon. Doctorate, University of Surrey, 1984[2]
- Hon. Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1988[2]
- Hon. Doctorate, University of Newcastle, 1991[2]
- Hon. DSc, University of Bath, 1991[2]
- Hon. Fellow, University of Westminster, 1992[2]
- Hon. Doctorate, University of Durham, 1997[2]
- Knight Bachelor, 1998[2]
- Hon. FIMechE, 1999[2]
- Hon. Doctorate, Sheffield Hallam University, 2001[2]
Notes
- ^ "List of Fellows".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 'MALPAS, Sir Robert', in Who's Who 2012 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012)
- ^ Corporate at rlauto.com, accessed 11 March 2012
- ^ a b Review: 'Energy for Planet Earth' by Robert Malpas from New Scientist, issue 1775 dated 29 June 1991, online at newscientist.com, accessed 11 March 2012
- ^ "List of Fellows".
- ^ "List of Fellows".