Banbury, England, UK: Peter Stone has been appointed the new chairman of WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) from 12 May, the organisation announced today.
He will replace WRAP’s founding chairman Vic Cocker following a competitive appointment procedure.
The appointment comes at a difficult time for the organisation following budget cuts by central government, though WRAP is determined to press on regardless as evidenced by its consistent output of sustainable solutions to waste management problems in both the public and private sectors.
Peter Stone has been in business for a long period having a varied and distinguished career and the WRAP Board are said to be delighted with his appointment.
WRAP’s chairman Vic Cocker said:
“The Board have selected Peter for his track record, his inclusive style, his vision and his obvious commitment to WRAP’s mission. His experience of helping organisations grow, and guiding them through periods of change and development, is a very important attribute.
"He has broad experience as a Board member and as Chairman we are sure that he will successfully lead the Board in its work of steering WRAP through the next stage of its business plan and the further development of its strategic role in partnership with our sponsors and stakeholders.”
After reading law at Cambridge and qualifying as a lawyer, Mr Stone was one of the three founding directors of Close Brothers, the UK investment bank. He spent 23 years with the bank during which the directors took the business through one of England’s earliest management buyouts in 1979.
This was followed by the company's flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 1984 and its growth into a wide-ranging financial services group. The company is now a large FTSE 250 company.
Mr Stone left Close Brothers in 1998 serving as a non-executive director on a number of Boards, including Intermediate Capital Group plc, Smith & Williamson, and Careforce Group plc. He is currently on the board of DTZ Holdings plc and Opus Trust, and is a Governor of The King’s School Canterbury.
WRAP’s Chief Executive Liz Goodwin said:
“I am very pleased that Peter will be joining WRAP as our new Chairman and I am looking forward to working with him. This is a very exciting time and Peter’s skills and experience will be invaluable as we develop our strategy for the future. “
Mr Stone commented today:
“Vic Cocker has made a huge contribution to the formation and development of WRAP. He will be a hard act to follow, but I am looking forward to the challenge of joining WRAP at an important stage in its development and when it is just about to launch its next Business Plan. WRAP has made a major impact on the way we think about waste, recycling and how our use of resources impacts the planet. Those issues, including the threat of climate change, are now at the front of everyone’s mind and WRAP is well-positioned to shape that debate. ”
Mr Stone, aged 61, is married and has four children aged 32 to 22. His leisure interests include being a concert and theatre-goer, also cricket and gardening. He will take over as Chairman from Vic Cocker following the Board Meeting due to be held on 12 May.
WRAP
Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk .