David Wigley Nickson, Baron Nickson, (born 27 November 1929) is a British businessman, a former crossbench peer and a former President of the Confederation of British Industry. He was Chairman of the

Clydesdale Bank Clydesdale Bank ( gd, Banca Dhail Chluaidh) is a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in Scotland. In June 2018, it was announced that Clydesdale Bank's holding company CYBG would acquire Virgin Money for ...

Scottish & Newcastle Scottish & Newcastle plc was a brewing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, which expanded from its home base to become an international business with beer volumes growing almost tenfold. The company was listed on the London Stock Exc ...

Scottish Enterprise Scottish Enterprise is a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business. The body covers the eastern and central parts of Scotland whilst similar ...

and the Government's

Senior Salaries Review Body The Senior Salaries Review Body, established 1971 provides advice to the Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of stat ...

Business career

Nickson worked from 1954 to 1982 at William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd publishers, made director in 1961, joint managing director in 1967,

vice chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

in 1976 and group managing director in 1979. He was director of Scottish United Investors from 1970 to 1983, of

General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation General Accident plc was a large insurance business based in Perth, Scotland. It merged with Commercial Union in 1998 to form CGU plc. History The Norie-Miller years The Employers' liability act of 1880 opened a new area of insurance and one ...

from 1971 to 1998, of the

1981 to 1989, of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries 1981 to 1995, of

Radio Clyde Radio Clyde is a group of two Independent Local Radio stations serving Glasgow and West Central Scotland. Radio Clyde is owned and operated by Bauer, based at studios in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio and Gr ...

1982 to 1985, of The Edinburgh Investment Trust between 1983 and 1994, of the

Hambros Bank Hambros Bank was a British bank based in London. The Hambros bank was a specialist in Anglo-Scandinavian business with expertise in trade finance and investment banking, and was the sole banker to the Scandinavian kingdoms for many years. The Bank ...

1989 to 1998 and of the

National Australia Bank National Australia Bank (abbreviated NAB, branded nab) is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia (colloquially referred to as "The Big Four") in terms of market capitalisation, earnings and customers. NAB was ranked 21st-la ...

from 1991 to 1996. In many companies he was also

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

or deputy chairman at any time.

Public service

Nickson is a

freeman Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to: * a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm * Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies * Free ...

of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

, an Honorary Freeman of the Fishmongers Company. From 1993 to 2002, he was the first chancellor of the

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University ( gd, Oilthigh Chailleannach Ghlaschu, ), informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and G ...

. He was Chairman of The

Countryside Commission The Countryside Commission (formally the Countryside Commission for England and Wales, then the Countryside Commission for England) was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only. Its forerunner, the National Parks Commissio ...

for Scotland (1983-85), Chairman of the CBI in Scotland (1979-81). President of the CBI (1986-88). Chairman of the Government's Senior Salaries Review Body (1989-95), and Chairman of Scottish Enterprise (1989-93). He was Deputy Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk 1982. Vice-lieutenant 1997-2005. He was Captain in the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a perso ...

, the Queen's Bodyguard for Scotland. Nickson was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

1981 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1981 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...

and was promoted to Knight Commander (KBE) in the

1997 Birthday Honours The 1997 Birthday Honours were announced on 14 June 1997 for the United Kingdom and on 2 June 1997 for New Zealand.New Zealand list: Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in the United Kingd ...

. He was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

in the 1994 New Year's Honours and took his seat on 22 March 1994 as Baron Nickson, of Renagour in the District of

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

. He sat as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

in the House of Lords until 1999, then as a Crossbencher until he retired from the House on 27 March 2015.

Personal life

Nickson was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, where his father was a Housemaster, then at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

, where he became a Senior Under Office before being commissioned into the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

in 1949. He took part in the Trooping of the Colour Ceremony in 1950. He spent the next four years in the Middle East. His last job was Staff Captain 1st Guards Brigade before he left the Army in 1954. A lifelong fisherman, he was Chairman of The Atlantic Salmon Trust, President of the Association of Scottish Salmon Fishery Boards, chair of the Secretary of State for Scotland's Atlantic Salmon Task Force (1997), and founder of the Cromarty Firth Fisheries Trust.

Arms

References

* 1929 births Living people People educated at Eton College Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Coldstream Guards officers Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Crossbench life peers Clydesdale Bank people {{Life-peer-stub