Angus Grossart
Angus Grossart is chairman and executive director of Noble Grossart, the merchant bank he founded in 1969.
- Sir Angus is one of Scotland’s foremost movers and shakers, with several key directorships and a hand in 50 business ventures. One of his most high-profile roles has been the vice-chairmanship of the Royal Bank of Scotland, from which he steps down in April [2005] after 19 years amid criticism that he is too close to the management...
- Without discussing RBS specifically, he notes: “Scotland is a relatively small country. It is ironic, if you know people, that the taint of cronyism is applied, and yet it is quite important that you know that the non- executives know the executives and get them to communicate.”
- His critics include the National Association of Pension Funds, which has been outspoken on boardroom issues. On corporate governance generally, Sir Angus says: “Some of the criteria which have emerged, it will be interesting to see if they stand the test of time.”
- Sir Angus is a non-executive director of Scottish & Newcastle and Trinity Mirror, and sits on BP’s Scottish board. He is passionate about the arts and architecture. He is a past chairman of the trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland and spends spare time restoring his weekend retreat, a 16th-century castle near St Andrews in Fife. His wife, Gay, is a talented artist...
- One slight blip in a blue chip career came in 1978 when Sir Angus and two other businessmen, including the late Sir Hugh Fraser, were criticised over their stewardship of the Fraser holding company, Scottish & Universal Investments. Sir Angus was accused of failing to check the accounts thoroughly, but was absolved of any heinous crime. [1]
Affiliations
References
Jon Ashworth The Scottish lawyer turned merchant banker who is king of his own castle The Times, January 24, 2005.
