Trevor Chinn

On July 24, 2007, TheGuardian announced the 72nd birthday of Trevor Chinn.

In 2008, Chinn is reported to be living in Knightsbridge with his wife Susan. He has two sons — David Chinn (aged 41) who is a partner at McKinsey management consultancy in Israel and Simon Chinn (aged 39) who is a TV and film producer. Chinn works from his West London offices which overlooks Hyde Park.

Chinn was educated at Polack's House, a boarding house for Jewish boys which forms part of Clifton College.

Affiliations

• Israel-Britain Business Council (IBBC) - formerly UK Chairman
• Chinn is a member of the Executive Committee of BICOM.
• Chinn is President of Norwood Children and Families Trust
• United Jewish Israel Appeal, President
• Labour Friends of Israel - Chinn is reported to be a member of the LFI who has also donated a 'six figure sum' to the Labour Party.
• Jewish Community Centre - Board member.
• The Jewish Association for Business Ethics - Trustee. Chinn remains a Trustee in 2008, a position he has served since at least 1999
• Centre Europeen Juif D’Information - Chinn previously served as a Vice Chairman, being listed as part of their Board in 1996/97
• Tel Aviv University - Board of Governors member.
• Aurora Russia Ltd - Chairman. Chinn resigned from this position in September 2008 to concentrate on his new role with the Mayor’s Fund for London. His replacement is Dan Koch, head of Deloitte & Touche in Russia..
• Aurora Investment Advisors Limited (AIAL) Chinn is reported to have created a trust which holds 10% of the non-voting preference shares in AIAL. He is reported to hold 'no interest'.
• Lex Service - Chairman. In this role Chinn oversaw the acquisition of RAC. Chinn retired from this position in 2003. Chinn became managing director of his father's company Lex Garages in 1968. In 2001, Lex won a £500million contract with the Ministry of Defence
• Harrison - Chief Executive of Easyjet. Chinn is reported to have been a mentor for Harrison and to have helped him 'enormously' in his career.
• Itis Holdings - Chairman. Itis produces road pricing technology and has contracts with Transport for London and 'several local authorities'. Former transport minister, Stephen Ladyman joined Itis in 2008. The Sunday Times reports that Ladyman 'would not lobby the government for a year after he stood down as a minister', but goes on to state that he 'is able to assist Itis in seeking contracts in the EU'. In Chinn's biography, Itis is described as 'an AIM-listed provider of traffic information with a subsidiary in Israel'. Chinn is reported to have 'forked out £475,245 on a million shares in two deals to take his holding to 1.73m or 1.76%' of Itis in 2005
• Streetcar - The 'pay-as-you-go' car club is chaired by Chinn. Chinn is also reported to have made a personal investment in the company, but no further details are divulged. Streetcar is part of the portfolio of private equity group Smedvig Capital.
• Motability - Governor.
• Automobile Association - Chairman.
• Kwik-Fit - Chairman. Chinn also holds 3.5% ownership in Kwik Fit
• Pendragon - Chairman. Pendragon is described as the Uk's largest car dealer.
• Motorists Forum - a government advisory panel. Chinn took up the position of Chairman in 1999. In 2006, Chinn is reported to have headed the Forum's study the 'Local Authority Parking Attendants And London Congestion Charge Administration'. The Motorist's Forum was set up in 1999 'to counter the claims of the road lobby that it is ignored in Whitehall'
• Commission for Integrated Transport - Vice Chair. Chinn was appointed to this position by the then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott in 1999 and continued in this role until stepping down in June 2004. The Commission id described as providing 'independent advice to Government on future transport policy options, the potential for new technology, the identification of best practice in transport and on transport issues which cross departmental boundaries'. It is also claimed that it 'carries out independent research on transport issues and their interface with environment health, the economy and society'.
• Automotive Skills - Director. The aims of Automotive Skills includes to 'Influence government, its agencies and education and training suppliers to respond to employers’ needs'. Automotive Skills merged with the Institute of the Motor Industry(IMI). The IMI is part of the Skills for Business Network
• Vigilant Technology - Chairman. Vigilant describes itself as 'a leading provider of intelligent IP based digital video/audio solutions for high-end CCTV security and surveillance markets'. In 2006, Chinn purchased 800,000 ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 each in the Company ('Ordinary Shares') at 10p per share. The report continued that 'Chinn is now interested in 2,805,810 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 4.97% of the issued share capital of the Company'. Chinn joined Vigilant in 2005.
• CVC Capital Partners - Advisory Board member. CVC Capital Partners is a global private equity and investment advisory firm. It's headquarters are in Luxembourg and it has a network of 19 offices across Europe, Asia and the USA.
• Mayor’s Fund for London - In July 2008, Chinn was appointed as Chair. In an interview he states that this role will take up two days of his week, 'but insists he will not move away from his responsibilities to Israel' which is 'something he is particularly passionate about'.
• Variety Club of Great Britain where Chinn previously served as Chief Barker for two successive terms. He was also previously chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards scheme and vice-chair of the Wishing Well Appeal for Great Ormond Street, for which it is reported that he was knighted in 1990.
• Royal Academy of Arts - In 2002, Chinn was Deputy to chairman Anthony Tennant who was charged with conspiring to fix the price of commissions at Sotherby's and Christie's auction houses. The academy is described as a charity which is run by artist for artists. Chinn and Tennant were criticised by Academians within the academy for trying to push it towards a more business way of working 'completely contrary to the Academy's status as a charity'. The proposals were described as 'a disgrace' which undermined 'the whole basis of the Academy' and taking 'away the control of the Academy from the members'.

Friends and Acquaintances

• Geoff Hoon - In November 2003 Secretary of State for Defence, Hoon gave a speech to the United Jewish Israel Appeal. In his speech he declared that he is a 'strong supporter' of Labour Friends of Israel and a good friend of Trevor Chinn.
• Stewart Steven, who was editor for the Evening Standard is decribed by Chinn as having been a 'close friend'.
• Gerald Ronson, Chief Executive of Heron International - Chinn was in attendance at Heron's annual luncheon at the Savoy Hotel, central London in 2004 where he proposed a vote of thanks. This was not his first attendance at such an event, he is also reported to have been at the 2001 annual luncheon too. It appears that this is a regular occurrance for Chinn who is described as a 'friend' of Ronson who sits at his table at the 300 guest events. Ronson was convicted of conspiracy, theft and false accounting in 1990 for his involvement in the 1980's takeover bid for Guiness in what became known as the 'Guiness Four' scandal. He served 6 months in Ford Open prison West Sussex and paid a £5m fine. It is reported that Ronson and his co-accused had 'cynical disregard of laws and regulations... cavalier misuse of company monies... and contempt for truth and common honesty'. Yet none of the business men involved were disqualified from working as company directors. In the 1980's Ronson was Britain's 15th richest man worth an estimated £548m.

Funding Blair

Chinn is reported to have been one of a 'group of businessmen courted by Lord Levy before the last election' (prior to 2001). As a result, Chinn reportedly donated a total of £500,000 to Tony Blair's private office.

Events and Conferences

KIVUNIM (directions) 2008

In 2008, Chinn participated as a speaker at the KIVUNIM (directions) 2008 conference on capital markets and corporate governance held at Prime Sagol Gan Oranim in Tel Aviv. Other speakers included Shraga Brosh - Manufacturers Association of Israel president; Ronnie Bar-On - Finance Minister; Tom Phillips - British Ambassador; David Lewis - Lord Mayor of the City of London; Victor Blank - Lloyds chairman; Zvi Marom - BATM Advanced Communications chairman; Graham Dallas - London Stock Exchange senior manager.

Israeli Prime Minister’s Conference 2005

In 2005, Chinn led a delegation from the Israel-Britain Business Council (which he serves as Council Co-Chairman) at the Israeli Prime Minister’s Conference for Export and International Cooperation. They met with MAI President Shraga Brosh (who is also Co-Chairman of the Council) and 'a group of high-level representatives of Israel’s business and economic sector'. The delegation discussed...

'the British business community’s growing interest in involvement in economic development in the Middle East region, including deeper cooperation with Israel, the PA, Egypt and Jordan. The security, antiterror and anti-crime fields in Israel were particular noted as targets for increased cooperation'

The day before the Prime Ministers Conference, senior members of the IBBC held a meeting. Those in attendance included Trevor Chinn, Shraga Brosh (IBBC Chairman and Manufacturers Association president), Lord Sterling (former IBBC Chairman), Tony Warwick (Britech chairman), Simon McDonald (UK Ambassador to Israel), Uriel Lynn (Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce president and the former Israeli chairman of IBCC), Benjamin Gaon, Dov Tadmor (Aviv Venture Capital chairman), Dov Lautman (Delta Galil Industries chairman), Gideon Siterman, Hanan Achsaf, Shmuel Frankel (Epsilon Investment House chairman and CEO), Gad Propper (Osem International managing director), Amnon Dotan (British-Israel Chamber of Commerce chairman), Ehud Geller (Collgard Biopharmaceuticals chairman), Aryeh Zeiff, Amir Hayek, Yoram Blizovsky (Manufacturers Association managing director), Maj-Gen (res) Danny Rothschild, Giyora Eiland (National Security Adviser) and Yoav Biran (Ministry of Foreign Affairs director-general). The meeting included being shown 'targets and tools for realizing measures for enhancing binational cooperation'

Meeting with American Jewish Committee

In 2006, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) report a meeting with Chinn in 'an effort to strengthen AJC’s ties to British Jewry'

The report states that:

'AJC President E Robert Goodkind led a leadership delegation to London to meet with the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the main community organizing body for British Jews, as well as with the Community Service Trust and the newly formed Jewish Leadership Council. The group also met with British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, longtime Jewish community leaders Lord Greville Janner and Sir Trevor Chinn, and with leadership from the Reform, Liberal and Conservative Masorti movements. In addition, the group held meetings with those Members of Parliament who initiated a serious parliamentary investigation of anti-Semitism, and with younger leaders of Conservative Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Israel. AJC Board members Stanley Bergman and Peter Rosenblatt joined Goodkind on the mission.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband Hosting Annual UJIA Patrons Dinner

In 2008, David Miliband was a guest of honour and host at the Annual UJIA Partons Dinner. The event took place at the Foreign Office where Miliband welcomed 160 UJIA members. Miliband was introduced by UJIA President Trevor Chinn. At the dinner, Chinn 'recalled the time they spent together in Israel visiting Gap Year students' (during Miliband's first year as foreign secretary), he also described Milliband as a "clever and courageous Foreign Secretary.”

Miliband is reported to have said that it was “a privilege to be amongst friends”. In his speach he described the UJIA as “an organisation with an inclusive vision of Zionism” that the 'whole of Britain' can take inspiration from. He described the organiation as not being "scared to put itself in danger and teaches us that it is Israel which breathes new life into Jewish people".

Wielding great influence on British Jewry

In 2008, The Jeruselem Chronicle declared 'the top spots' on their second annual list of those who 'wield the greatest influence on British Jewry'. Trevor Chinn is listed at number 14. The criteria for being listed is described as 'those with a vision for Jewish life in this country and who did their utmost to bring it about using either money; persuasion; religion; culture; political or social leadership; or simply inspiring through word and deed'. In order for someone to be listed in the top 20, it was generally necessary to demonstrate influence in more than one of the spheres.

Others included in the list were Lord Levy (number 9), Ron Prosor (number 10), Daniel Finkelstein (number 11), John Mann (number 17), Jonathan Freedland (number 18), Julia Neuberger (number 19), Lord Janner (number 20), Prime Minister Gordon Brown (number 29) & Poju Zabludowicz (number 30).

UK/Israel Academic Research and Exchange Programme

In September 2008 it was announced that Gordon Brown was to visit Israel and in doing so reveal plans for an academic research and exchange programme. This will be administered by the British Council and supported by a range of partners such as the Pears Foundation, Trevor Chinn, and the UJIA. It is expected that the Pears Foundation will give around £100,000 a year (over five years) and the UJIA contributing £50,000 annually towards the venture. Other 'potential' partners include the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Israel’s Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport.

The aim is described as to enhance academic links and research between higher education in Israel and the UK and the programme could commence as soon as the start of the 2008 academic year.