Jonathan Peter Marland, Baron Marland (born 14 August 1956) is a British businessman and politician, having served as Prime Minister's Trade Envoy, Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Business, Innovation and Skills, and Treasurer of the Conservative Party. Marland is currently the Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council which is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes trade, investment, and the role of the private sector across the 56

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

member states.

Education

Marland was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by royal charter, to replace the town's Saxon collegiate foundations which were disestablished in the sixteenth century, Shrewsb ...

Business career

Marland was one of the founding directors of

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, also known as JLT Group or simply JLT, was a British multinational corporation that had its headquarters in London, England. It provided insurance, reinsurance, employment benefits advice and Brokerage firm, bro ...

, a multinational insurance business, where he led the acquisitions of companies including

Hunter Boot Ltd Hunter Boot Limited is a British footwear manufacturing company that is known for its rubber Wellington boots. Originally established in 1856 as the North British Rubber Company, the firm is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. It also has off ...

(2006), and backed the online news magazine ''

The World Weekly ''The World Weekly'' was an international online magazine created in November 2012. The founding editor was James Geary and the founding managing director Rory O'Grady. The magazine ceased publishing in June 2018. Origins Incorporated in August ...

'' (2013). He also founded the Jubilee insurance company at Lloyd's of London. He continues his involvement in the business world, and is the chairman at both Bspoke Insurance Group Ltd and EcoWorld Management and Advisory Services (UK) Ltd. He is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the

Kuwait Investment Authority The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is the State owned sovereign wealth fund of the State of Kuwait, managing the state's reserve and the state's future generation fund, also known as "Ajyal Fund". Founded in 1953, the KIA is the world's old ...

. He currently serves as co-chair of the International Advisory Council for the World Digital Chamber. He was one of the owners of

SCL Group SCL Group (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories) was a private British behavioural research and strategic communication company that came to prominence through the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal involving its subsidiaries ...

and

Cambridge Analytica Cambridge Analytica Ltd. (CA), previously known as SCL USA, was a British political consulting firm that came to prominence through the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. It was started in 2013, as a subsidiary of the private intell ...

, having been convinced by

Nigel Oakes Nigel John Oakes (born July 1962) is a British businessman, and the founder and CEO of Behavioural Dynamics Institute and SCL Group (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories), the parent company of Cambridge Analytica and her sister Aggreg ...

to invest in a company that should focus on "security and military advice".

Political career

Government posts

In 2010, Marland was made a Minister at the

Department of Energy and Climate Change The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the government of the United Kingdom created on 3 October 2008, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the ...

. In May 2011 he was appointed as the Chairman of the British Business Ambassadors by

UK Trade & Investment UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) was a UK Government department working with businesses based in the United Kingdom to assist their success in international markets, and with overseas investors looking to the UK as an investment destination. It wa ...

(UKTI). In 2012, Marland was made a Minister for Intellectual property in the

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Uni ...

. He was the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy between 2011 and 2014. In 2014 he became Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

Party and parliamentary roles

Marland was the

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

candidate for the target seat of Somerton and Frome at the 2001 general election, coming second to the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP, David Heath. He was Treasurer to the Conservative Party from 2003 to 2007, and subsequently became a key part of the team which saw the election of

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...

Opposition posts

In 2009, Marland was made an opposition Whip in the House of Lords, as well as an opposition spokesman for the Cabinet Office, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Other

Lord Marland frequently provides commentary on British Politics. He initiated the Peer Review Podcast, featuring interviews with a curated selection of House of Lords Peers in 2023.

Other interests

Away from business and politics, Marland has interests in the arts and sport. In December 2021, the Prime Minister appointed Lord Marland as a Trustee of the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. He is the chairman of Tickets for Troops and sits on the advisory board of the

International Churchill Society International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

, formerly known as The Churchill Centre UK, where he previously served as chairman. He is a Founding Trustee of the Atlantic Partnership. He is a former trustee of the

Holburne Museum The Holburne Museum (formerly known as the Holburne of Menstrie Museum and the Holburne Museum of Art) is located in Sydney Pleasure Gardens, Bath, Somerset, England. The city's first public art gallery, the Grade I listed building, is home to ...

in Bath, and Development Board Member of the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. He was the president of The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir, and served as chairman and trustee for the Guggenheim UK Charitable Trust for 20 years. He was a member of the

Peggy Guggenheim Museum Peggy may refer to: People * Peggy (given name), people with the given name or nickname Arts and entertainment * ''Peggy'' (musical), a 1911 musical comedy by Stuart and Bovill * ''Peggy'' (album), a 1977 Peggy Lee album * ''Peggy'' (1916 ...

Executive Board.

Sport

He is a patron of Salisbury and South Wiltshire Cricket and Hockey Club. He was chairman of The Sports Nexus Trust and Harnham Water Meadows Trust. He was president of Salisbury City F.C. and is a member of the MCC. In January 2009 he challenged Giles Clarke for the chairmanship of the ECB but was unsuccessful, despite having pledged to raise a £100m capital fund for development across all 18 counties if elected as chairman.

Personal life

Lord Marland was born in Windsor and has four children.

Honours and awards

He was awarded a life peerage on 8 June 2006 as Baron Marland, of

Odstock Odstock is a village and civil parish south of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the village of Nunton with its nearby hamlet of Bodenham. The parish is in the valley of the River Ebble, which joins the Hampshire Avon near ...

in the

County of Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. In recognition of his longstanding contributions to the advancement of commercial and bilateral relations with Malta, he was honoured with the Maltese Order of Merit in 2015. In May 2024, Marland was awarded the Bangabandhu-Edward Heath Friendship Award 2023 for his extraordinary contributions to promote trade and business relations between the UK and Bangladesh.

Arms

References

External links

* – FS Club webinar, May 2022 {{DEFAULTSORT:Marland, Jonathan Peter, Baron 1957 births Living people Nobility from Wiltshire People educated at Shrewsbury School British businesspeople Conservative Party (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II