Lord Powell was private secretary and advisor on foreign affairs and defence to British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major between the years

1983 - 1991.  Since 1992 he has been an international business man serving on the boards of several major companies including Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy, Caterpillar, Textron, Schindler, Yell and Mandarin Oriental.  He is Chairman of LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy in the UK and Chairman of Safinvest.  Lord Powell is also a member of a number of international advisory boards.  Lord Powell is Chairman of the China-Britain Business School, Chairman of the Trustees of the Oxford University Business School, a Trustee of the British Museum and of the Aspen Institute in the US and Chairman of Atlantic Partnership. 

Lord Powell was raised to the Peerage in 2000.  He sits as a Cross-Bench member of the Lords, serves on the European Union Committee and is Chairman of the All-Party Group on Entrepreneurship.  He is married with two sons and lives in London.

“I am proud to be a member of The Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation and join in the support which it is providing for research into ways to restore movement to those suffering from paralysis as a result of spinal injury.  It is an extremely worthwhile cause with the potential for dramatic results.  I pay tribute to David Nicholls’ energy and commitment in setting up the Foundation.”