David Edmonds

Who is David Edmonds?

David Albert Edmonds CBE is a British businessman, civil servant and administrator, as of 2008 chair of the Legal Services Board. He is also Chairman of NHS Shared Business Services,Chairman of Swanton Care and Community, and Chairman of the Pension Trustees at Hammerson PLC.

The son of Albert and Gladys Edmonds of Kingsley, Cheshire, he was educated at Helsby Grammar School and the University of Keele. He was a civil servant from 1966 to 1974 before becoming a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. Returning to the British civil service in 1975, from 1979 until 1983 he was Principal Private Secretary to Michael Heseltine, Secretary of State for the Environment. After a year as Under Secretary for Inner City Policy, he became chief executive of the Housing Corporation from 1984 to 1991. He was deputy chairman of the board of the New Statesman and Society from 1988 to 1990. He became a managing director within NatWest Group in 1991. He was Director General of Oftel from 1998 to 2003 and chair of NHS Direct from 2004 until 2008. He was appointed as chairman of the Legal Services Board on 17 May 2008. He became Chairman of Wincanton PLC in August 2008.