Gordon Arden Campbell: 1998–1999

Born on 16 October 1946, Gordon Campbell read chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge during the 1960s, being taught by IChemE's immediate Past President, John Bridgwater, and joined Courtauld's Research Department in 1968.

In 1976 he was appointed Director of British Celanese: and then, in 1980, Managing Director of Courtaulds Chemicals. After five years in this role he moved to South Africa to head up SAICCOR, before returning to the UK in 1987 as Director of Courtaulds.

In 1995 he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive of the Group and one year later became its Chief Executive.

He combined his main Board responsibilities within Courtaulds with non-executive director positions within AEA Technology (1996-1997); and Argos (1997-1998).

His active involvement with IChemE began in 1988 when he was elected on to the governing Council, subsequently serving as Vice President and then Deputy President before ultimately succeeding to the presidency.

Outside of his IChemE activities, Gordon Campbell has been a member of the CBI's President's Council since 1995, and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1993. The start of his IChemE presidency coincided with the end of a three year spell as President of the Comite International de Rayon et Fibres Synthetiques.