Biography – John Spence CBE DL

BA  FCIBS  FIFS  FRSA

Personal:

Born Edinburgh 30th Jan 1951.
Married to Yvonne in 1974; With son Euan, daughters Lindsay and Catherine and now a proud grandfather.

Education:

George Watson’s College, Edinburgh
Trinity College, Dublin
Harvard Business School

Honours:

1999 – MBE for service to community
2006 – OBE for services to charity & Business in the Community
2013 – CBE for services to business
2005 – Order of St. Cedd, Chelmsford Cathedral
2006 – Lay Canon, Chelmsford Cathedral
2006 – Round Table, GB & Ireland, Founders Award for lifetime contribution

2005 – HRH The Prince of Wales’s Business Ambassadors Award

2023 – Made Fellow of Business in the Community by the then Prince Charles

2008 – Deputy Lord Lieutenant, County of Essex
2009 – Honorary Doctorate – Anglia Ruskin University

THINGS I DO NOW:

Voluntary Sector:

Anglia Ruskin University Foundation Trustee

The J’s Hospice (Patron)    

Member of Chelmsford Cathedral Nominations Committee and Audit & Risk Committee, intercessor and other general support activities

       

Directorships:

Chair of Cambridge Building Society

Adviser to board of Spicerhaart Group Ltd

THINGS I HAVE DONE:

Career:

Joined Lloyds Bank in 1973
1994 – 1996 – Head of Business Banking, Lloyds Bank
1996 – 1998 – Managing Director, Business Banking, LloydsTSB
1998 – 2000 – Chief Executive, LloydsTSB (Scotland)
2000 – 2001 – Director of Branch Networks
2001 – 2003 – Director of Retail Distribution
2003 – 2005 – Director of Policy Co-Ordination and Risk

British Bankers Association – Chaired Business Banking Committee 1996-98 and Retail Committee 2003-5

Church

Governor of Church Commissioners 2005-13

Chairman Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance 2009-13

Chelmsford Cathedral Council

Chair of Archbishops’ Council Finance Committee 2013-23, involving numerous other roles

Strategic Investment Board Chairman

Voluntary

Chairmanships of Action for Blind People, Vitalise, Blind In Business and Essex Community Foundation

Trusteeships of RNIB and St. Pauls Cathedral Foundation

Presidency of Royal Zoological Sopciety of Scotland and Enable

Finance chair of Business in the Community

Political:

Essex County Councillor 2013-26.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Housing & Planning 2017

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health 2017-26

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services 2024-26

Involving Chair of Essex Health & Wellbeing Board, Integrated Care Partnership roles and numerous other committees

Directorships

Non Executive Directorships of HM Revenue & Customs (inc. Chair Audit Committee), Skipton Group Holdings, Edrington Ltd, Capital for Enterprise Ltd, Money Advice Service, Call Credit Information Group Ltd (Chair), Spicerhaart Group Ltd (Non-Executive Chair)

Chairman of S.E. Local Enterprise Partnership and Harlow Renaissance Ltd

Non-Executive Director of Business Banking Resolution Society

INTERESTS:

Cooking and eating, theatre, listening to sport, swimming, and gardening.