Brian McBride (born 1955) is a UK businessman, who was appointed President of the

Confederation of British Industry The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is a UK business organisation, which in total claims to speak for 190,000 businesses, this is made up of around 1,500 direct members and 188,500 non-members. The non members are represented through the 1 ...

(CBI) in June 2022.

Early life

Born in Glasgow on 15 October 1955, Brian McBride grew up in a council home along with his seven siblings, his mother (a nurse) and his father (a teacher). He attended the neighbourhood public school, Lourdes Secondary, before going on to Glasgow University, where he earned a degree in Economic History and Politics.

Career

McBride began his career in business by selling photocopiers for Xerox in Glasgow. He later worked for IBM both in the UK and in the USA, before being approached by

Michael Dell Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world's largest technology infrastructure companies. He is ranked the 2 ...

, who hired him to oversee Dell's activities in the UK and Northern Europe. McBride continued to advance his career in the digital and tech sectors, first serving as T- Mobile's managing director and launching 3G in the UK, before joining Amazon as UK CEO, where he oversaw the company's rapid expansion in the UK market. Since leaving Amazon, McBride has held a variety of portfolio positions, including Chairman of ASOS and, most recently, Trainline. He has also served on the boards of the BBC and Abrdn (the former Standard Life Aberdeen) and is currently the lead non-executive director on the Board of the Ministry of Defence. Also, as a Senior Adviser to Lazard's Advisory business and Senior Adviser with the Scottish Equity Partners, McBride’s involvement in the private equity and investment industry has helped make him an expert on the difficulties faced by small businesses in acquiring financing. Brian served as a non-executive Director on the board of

Celtic FC The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

from January 2005 to December 2009.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Presidency

On 28 June 2022, McBride was chosen at the CBI’s AGM to serve as CBI President, primarily due to his experience in digital and innovation – areas that the CBI believes are key to growth in the UK.

Personal life

McBride resides in Camberley, Surrey, with his wife, Linda. The couple have two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and tennis, listening to music, and spending time with his grandchildren on the weekends.

Early life

Career

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Presidency

Personal life

References

Further reading