John Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard
John Olav Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard, of Kinlochard in Perth and Kinross GCMG ( born February 22, 1942 in Grantown -on-Spey, Moray, Scotland ) is a British diplomat and politician, who Permanent Representative to the European Union and Ambassador was in the U.S. and is a life peer member of the House of Lords since 2004.
Life
Diplomatic career and climb to the Ambassador
After visiting the Glasgow Academy and read Modern History at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, where he graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA History), Kerr appeared in 1966 in the foreign service and took place in the years to use in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO ) and the foreign representatives in Moscow and Rawalpindi. After a further use in the FCO and the Treasury (Treasury), he was between 1981 and 1984 First Privastsekretär the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson. After he was head of the firm at the embassy in the United States after he served from 1987 to 1990 as of assistive Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and was appointed in 1987 for his previous contributions to the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.
In 1990, as the successor of David Hannay his appointment as Permanent Representative to the United Kingdom to the European Union with the rank of ambassador. This office he held until his replacement by Stephen Wall in 1995 and in 1991 Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, which he henceforth the additional name "Sir" led. In 1995 he became the successor of Robin Renwick, Baron Renwick of Clifton the ambassador in the U.S. and held this position until his replacement by Christopher Meyer 1997. After that, he was employed from 1997 to 2002 as the successor of John Coles Undersecretary of the FCO and also the Head of the Foreign Service. Him the Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George was awarded in 2001. 2002 Michael Jay followed him as Permanent Under-Secretary of the FCO and head of the Foreign Service.
Subsequently, he was from 2002 to 2003 Secretary General of the European Convention. In addition to his diplomatic activity Kerr was 1997-2010 Trustee of the Rhodes Trust and from 2002 to 2010 the National Gallery in London. He also belonged between 2002 and 2005 the Board of Shell Transport and Trading Co on and, since 2002, the Scottish American Investment Company, and since 2003 the Rio Tinto Group.
Upper House Member and functions in the private sector
By Letters Patent of 30 June 2004 Kerr was raised as a life peer with the title Baron Kerr of Kinlochard, of Kinlochard in Perth and Kinross to the peerage. Shortly afterwards, was his introduction ( Introduction) as a member of the House of Lords. In the House of Lords he belongs to the group of so-called Cross Bencher.
In the following period was Lord Kerr, who was 2005-2012 Deputy Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell plc, 2004-2009 Trustee of the Fulbright Commission, and since 2005 has been a Trustee of the Carnegie Trust. He has also served 2005-2011 as Chairman of the Imperial College London and from 2006 to 2010 as a member of the House of Lords Committee on the European Union.
Since 2008 he is also Chairman of the Centre for European Reform and Deputy Chief Executive of ScottishPower since 2012, having already served as a board member of this energy supply company since 2009.