Christopher Beauman

Christopher Beauman (HF 1966-68) enjoyed a Harkness Fellowship from 1966 to 1968, first  in Washington DC at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Affairs (SAIS) and then in New York at Columbia University (department of Economics). He had initially planned to go into the Foreign Office, but by 1968 (and after the 1967 Devaluation) decided to pursue a career in merchant banking. He started at Hill Samuel (Issues and Mergers), but was headhunted by a smaller merchant bank, Guinness Mahon, then chaired by Sir Charles Villers (previously CEO of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation).  When Villiers was appointed Chairman of British Steel, Beauman joined him there, with a wide-ranging brief, including Strategy and relations with the Government, during a period of major restructuring.  From 1981 to 1983 Beauman worked in the Central Policy Review Staff, Cabinet Office, on nationalised industry policy and pensions. He then joined Morgan Grenfell, in a series of roles, culminating in becoming Director Planning and coordinating the sake of the bank to Deutsche Bank.  In 1991 he became a founder member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, focusing on industrial restructuring and the steel industry. From the mid 1990s he became the Bank’s steel consultant, with major projects in Poland, Romania, Russia and Kazakhstan.  He was also active at LSE, especially through the Grantham Research Institute on climate change.