Crossrail chairman appointed as president of Chartered Management Institute

Terry Morgan, chairman of Crossrail, has been appointed as the new President of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) - the only chartered professional body providing support for managers and leaders across the UK. 

Terry will use his role as President to call for greater focus, within Government and amongst employers, on the skills needed to bring UK plc up to ‘world class’ status.  He will argue that, whilst the UK boasts some great managers, there are still too many examples of leadership failures undermining organisational performance.  Terry will also encourage UK employers to move away from the current tendency to create leadership scapegoats and, instead, foster a culture in which managers and leaders are competent and accountable.    

Working alongside Ruth Spellman, chief executive of CMI, Terry will drive forward the idea that the burden for action falls on Government, employers and individuals.  This will include calling for: 

• employers to stop complaining about the lack of work ready school leavers and instead, devote time and attention to working with educators to develop the skills needed for Twenty-First Century working
• recognition, from Government, that the development of effective managers must be a national priority and that the importance of skills development cannot be ignored because of the social, political and economic problems we face
• individuals to get themselves qualified to address the worrying statistic that just 1 in 5 managers in the UK are professionally qualified. 

On becoming President of the Institute, Terry said, “It’s easy to blame managers and leaders when things go wrong, but alarming that many organisations wait that long before taking action.  Now, more than ever, the quality of the UK’s management and leadership community is critical and it is vital that we tackle competency before the UK’s reputation for business suffers further damage in the eyes of the world.  

“In an increasingly competitive world we urgently need to cut the skills deficit, challenge accepted norms and build a strong cohort of leaders for tomorrow.  I’m delighted to have the opportunity to play a part in such an important issue.” 

Terry Morgan took over the role of chairman of Crossrail on 1 June 2009.  Prior to this appointment, he was chief executive of Tube Lines, the company with a 30 year contract to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.  He also has a background in HR, having also served as Group HR Director for BAE Systems and he is also a member of the London Skills and Employment Board.
In assuming the role, Terry becomes CMI’s 34^th President.  He succeeds Sir David Howard, chairman of Charles Stanley Ltd.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Further information:

Vicki Cole / Faith Riding

Tel: 0207 612 8953 / 0207 612 8865

Email: victoria.cole@kindredagency.com / faith.riding@kindredagency.com  

• The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadership excellence.  CMI is the founder of the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and sets the standards that others follow
   
• As a membership organisation, CMI has been providing forward-thinking advice and support to individuals and businesses, for more than 50 years, and continues to give managers and leaders, and the organisations they work in, the tools they need to improve their performance and make an impact
   
• As the only organisation to offer qualifications from Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 8 (PhD), CMI is committed to equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge to be exceptional managers and leaders.  Qualifications and accreditations such as Chartered Manager, combined with products such as CMI’s Continuous Professional Development scheme and the online support resource, ManagementDirect, support the development of management and leadership excellence across the UK
   
• Through in-depth research and policy surveys of its 90,000 individual and 450 corporate members, CMI maintains its position as the premier authority on key management and leadership issues