Congratulations must go to Sir Peter Gershon CBE (’65) who was recently awarded a prestigous Non-Executive Director Award, recognising the achievement of individuals who contribute daily to the successes of business across the UK.

With a 30 year career spanning the international computer, telecommunications and defence industries, Sir Peter’s blend of tactical insight and experience made him a clear winner among the Judges in the FTSE 100 category.

Under his Chairmanship, National Grid has sustainably grown shareholder value and continues to address any challenges head on. At a time when the industry has been undergoing rapid change, Sir Peter delivered a successful CEO succession process, while helping an almost entirely new Board to understand the background to the company’s current strategy, providing consistent and pragmatic leadership on sensitive issues.

Passionate about ethical standards, risk process and effectiveness reviews in the boardroom and beyond, the Judges were impressed with Sir Peter’s focus on “diversity of thought” within the Board, encouraging creative thinkers to speak up, and how he challenged National Grid to better promote its engineering credentials at the same time as improving the accuracy of data the Group provides to its regulators.

Described by the judging panel as a “seasoned”, “granular” and “philanthropic” chairman, Sir Peter has significantly enhanced National Grid’s reputation in the FTSE 100 and its contribution to the UK economy as a whole.