Tuesday, November 16, 1999 Published at 14:49 GMT
Business: The Economy
CBI's new chief named
The new man replaces Adair Turner, right, in the influential role
The new voice of big business in the UK is to be Digby Jones, the vice-chairman of corporate finance at accountants KPMG.
Mr Jones, 44, was named on Tuesday afternoon as the successor to Adair Turner for the high-profile role of director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
He was described by colleagues as a hard-working, ebullient businessman with a wealth of experience.
The rewards of the job are pretty good - a £200,000 pay package for running a staff of 230 and managing a £17m budget.
What the job involves is formulating policy on behalf of the 250,000 public and private companies and 150 trade associations which belong to the CBI.
CBI president Sir Clive Thompson said of the new director general: "His breadth of business experience across many sectors, his international work and his understanding of the needs of manufacturing and smaller firms give him the depth and perspective he needs to represent the interests of CBI members.
"This is the first time that a serving CBI regional chairman has been appointed director general and there is no doubt that his inside knowledge will enable him to hit the ground running."
Mr Jones said: "It will be a challenging time for British business and I believe the CBI can make a real difference at this time of great change."
He began his career with corporate law firm Edge and Ellison and joined KPMG in 1998.
Mr Jones is married with no children. His interests include the theatre, skiing, cycling and rugby.
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