Sir William Castell LVO (Chairman)

Bill Castell became Chairman in May 2006, having joined the Board in January 2006.

Previously President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare and Vice-Chairman of the General Electric Company (GE), he remains a director of GE, now as a non-executive director. Before that Sir William was Chief Executive of Amersham plc for 15 years. Earlier in his career, he held various positions with the Wellcome pharmaceutical company, which was then owned by the Wellcome Trust. He became a non-executive director of BP plc (formerly British Petroleum) in July 2006.

Bill Castell's previous not-for-profit roles include being a council member of the UK Medical Research Council (2001-2004), and Chairman of the Prince's Trust (1998-2003). He is currently a non-executive director of the National Bureau of Asian Research; an Honorary Fellow of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford; an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Trustee of the Education and Employers Taskforce.

LVO: Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order