RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

November 10, 2008
NEW PRESIDENT FOR RoSPA

Lord Jordan of Bournville, CBE, President

Lord Jordan of Bournville, CBE, has taken up office as the new President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

He was elected at the Society's annual meeting in Birmingham on Friday (November 7) and succeeds Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen, who held the post for four years. Before taking up his new role, he was RoSPA's Deputy President.

Lord Jordan has, throughout his career, promoted awareness of safety issues, and currently helps RoSPA to keep safety and accident prevention at the forefront of the public policy agenda.

A trade unionist by background, Lord Jordan began his career as a shop steward at GKN in Birmingham.

He was President of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union from 1986 to 1995, during which period he was also a member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress. In 1995, he became General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, a post he held until 2002.

He was a Governor of the London School of Economics from 1987 to 2002 and of the BBC from 1988 to 1998.

He also held a number of international presidencies, including that of the International Metalworkers' Federation and was a member of the UN High-Level Panel on Youth Employment.

Lord Jordan said: "I am honoured to accept this position at RoSPA. And it is a privilege to serve an organisation and cause that does so much to protect the lives of people in this country.

"Whether people are travelling or are at home, work or leisure, they know RoSPA is making life safer for them."