Board of Directors

chairman

Dennis Stevenson chairman, aged 56, has been a non-executive director of Pearson since 1986 and became executive chairman in 1997. He is also chairman of HBOS plc and a non-executive director of Manpower Inc. in the US.

executive directors

Marjorie Scardino chief executive, aged 55, joined the Pearson board in January 1997. She trained and practised as a lawyer, and published a weekly newspaper in the US. In 1985 she joined The Economist Group as president of its North American operations and was its chief executive from 1993 until joining Pearson. She is also a non-executive director of Nokia Corporation.

David Bell director for people, aged 55, became a director of Pearson in March 1996. He is chairman of the Financial Times Group, having been chief executive of the Financial Times from 1993 to 1998. In July 1998 he was appointed Pearson’s director for people with responsibility for the recruitment, motivation, development and reward of employees across the Pearson Group. He is also a non-executive director of VITEC Group plc and Zen Research plc and chairman of the Millennium Bridge Trust.

John Makinson finance director, aged 47, joined the Pearson board and became finance director in March 1996. From 1994 to 1996 he was managing director of the Financial Times, and prior to that he founded and managed the investor relations firm Makinson Cowell. He was appointed chairman of The Penguin Group in May 2001. He is also a non-executive director of George Weston Limited in Canada.

non-executive directors

Terry Burns*† aged 57, was the government’s chief economic adviser from 1980 until 1991 and Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury from 1991 until 1998. He is non-executive chairman of Abbey National plc and Glas Cymru Limited, and a non-executive director of The British Land Company PLC. He was appointed a non-executive director of Pearson in May 1999.

Reuben Mark*† aged 63, is chairman and chief executive of the Colgate Palmolive Company and a director of Citigroup Inc. and AOL Time Warner Inc. He became a non-executive director of Pearson in 1988.

Vernon Sankey* aged 52, is non-executive chairman of Gala Group Holdings plc and non-executive deputy chairman of Photo-Me International plc and Beltpacker plc. He is also a non-executive director of Zurich Financial Services AG. He became a non-executive director of Pearson in 1993.

Rana Talwar aged 53, was previously group chief executive of Standard Chartered plc. He became a non-executive director of Pearson in March 2000.

* a member of the audit committee.
† a member of the personnel committee.