Howard Davies (economist)

This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch.

Sir Howard Davies (born 12 February 1951) is a British economist and the former Director of London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), from 2003 to May 2011. He resigned from this position in March 2011 in the wake of controversy over the LSE's decision to accept funding from a foundation controlled by the Libyan leader's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and over the LSE's Libyan links.

Davies previously served as the first chairman of the Financial Services Authority.

Affiliations

• Confederation of British Industry, Director General (1992-1995)
• Bank of England, Deputy Governor (1995-1997)
• GKN plc, Non-executive Director (1990-1995)
• Audit Commission, Controller (1987-1992)
• McKinsey & Company, (1982-1987)
• HM Treasury, Special Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1985-1986)
• Tate Foundation, Trustee
• Royal Academy of Music, Member of Governing Body
• London School of Economics, Director (September 2003- )
• Morgan Stanley, Non-executive Director (2004- )
• Paternoster, Non-executive Director (2006-2010)
• Financial Services Authority, Executive Chairman (July 1997-September 2003)
• Government Investment Corporation of Singapore, Advisor (2009- )
• Prudential, Non-executive Director (November 2010- )

Record and Controversies

Revolving Door

• Before joining the FSA, Davies worked at the Foreign Office and the Treasury. He worked at the management consultants McKinsey & Co. Inc. (1982–1987) and was a Director of GKN plc (1990–1995). From 1992 to 1995 he was Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, a Director of Business in the Community and a member of the International Advisory Board of NatWest. He subsequently joined Morgan Stanley Inc. in 2004 and Paternoster Ltd in 2006.

Publications

• Davies, Howard, (Ed.) The Chancellors' Tales, Polity Press (2006) - on British economic policy from 1975 to 2000.
• Davies, Howard, and David Green, Global Financial Regulation: The Essential Guide, Polity Press (2008).
• Davies, Howard, and David Green, Banking on the Future: The Fall and Rise of Central Banking, Princeton University Press (2010).
• Davies, Howard, The Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame?, Polity Press (2010).

Resources

• LSE, Meet the Director, last updated 16 December 2010, accessed 28 February 2011.
• Prudential, "Howard Davies and Paul Manduca to join the Board of Prudential plc as non-executive directors," Group News Releases 15 October 2010, accessed 28 February 2011.
• Who's Who 2009, Davies, (Sir) Howard (John), online edn, Oxford University Press, accessed 27 March 2009.