Lord John Browne

 Lord John Browne, trained as a professional engineer, was Group Chief Executive of BP from 1995 to 2007, where he built a reputation as a visionary leader, transforming BP into one of the world’s most successful companies. He is now the Executive Chairman of L1 Energy, overseeing the creation of the largest independent European exploration and production company, Wintershall DEA. He is a member or Chairman of the boards of a number of organizations, including the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, The Francis Crick Institute, and The Courtauld Institute of Art. He holds degrees from Cambridge and Stanford universities, was knighted in 1998, and made a life peer in 2001. He is a collector of antique books and art and the author of four previous titles, including The Glass Closet, which was called “essential reading” by The Times and “brave and fascinating” by Sir Richard Branson.