David Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-Beddoe


David Sydney Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-Beddoe, is a Welsh businessman, a life peer and a crossbench member of the House of Lords. Lord Rowe-Beddoe is a former chairman of the Welsh Development Agency, and was chairman of Cardiff Airport until November 2016.

Early life

David Rowe-Beddoe is the son of Sydney Rowe-Beddoe and Dolan Evans.
Rowe-Beddoe's early education was at The Cathedral School, Llandaff near Cardiff in Wales where he won the Victor Ludorum in 1951. His education continued at Stowe School at Buckingham, Buckinghamshire in England. He also attended St John's College, Cambridge, UK.
In 1964, Rowe-Beddoe married Malinda Collison, and the union produced three daughters. The couple were divorced in 1982. He remarried in 1984 and his wife is the former Madeleine Harrison.

Career

Rowe-Beddoe's career in business began at Thomas De La Rue in 1961; and he rose to the position of Chief Executive from 1971 through 1976. At Revlon, he was President, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa from 1976 through 1981. He also served as President, Morgan Stanley-GFTA Ltd from 1983 through 1991.
Rowe-Beddoe was known as a Monaco-based businessman and a Tory party fund-raiser when an opportunity arose for him to be appointed to a Welsh quango; and that opportunity led to others. Rowe-Beddoe was appointed chairman of the Welsh Development Agency in July 1993; and the term of this appointment was nine years. In part because of his WDA service, he was invested as a Knight Bachelor in 2000.
In 2001, Sir David Rowe-Beddoe was appointed the Chairman of the Wales Millennium Centre; and he remains in this post today.
In 2004, Sir David Rowe-Beddoe was appointed President of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama having previously been a Governor and Chairman of the Board.
In 2005, he received the Beacon Prize for Wales for his contribution to the economic and social development of Wales.
On 15 June 2006, he was created a life peer as Baron Rowe-Beddoe, of Kilgetty in the County of Dyfed.
In April 2007, Lord Rowe-Beddoe was created Pro-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan.
Lord Rowe-Beddoe is a former Deputy Chair of the UK Statistics Authority who held responsibility for the governance of the Office for National Statistics.
An Anglican, Lord Rowe-Beddoe was chairman of the Representative Body of The Church in Wales from 2002–2012.

Honours