Keith Attwood

Areas of Interest

Business, Education, Alumni

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, 2012

Biography

Keith was CEO of e2v technologies from 1998 to 2013, having previously worked at a senior level within the telecommunications, defence and aerospace sectors. e2v develops and manufactures leading edge technology products and services for advanced systems companies. Served markets include the medical, science, aerospace, defence, commercial and industrial sectors. e2v achieved sales of c£200m in 2012/13, sourced 39% from USA, 17% from Asia and 44% from Western Europe and ROW.

Keith led a management buy-out of e2v from Marconi plc in 2002 and subsequently floated the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2004. Under Keith's management, e2v has a strong track record of engaging with all levels of academia, from schools to universities, most recently having been involved in collaborations with the University of Nottingham and The Open University. He is a former Chairman of the CBI East of England Regional Council and is currently Chair of the CBI Employment and Skills Board. In 2012 Keith was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Anglia Ruskin University and is a Companion Member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Citation

"Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Keith Attwood for the award of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.

Keith Attwood is CEO of e2v, a Chelmsford based global technology company specialising in the manufacture and design of technology solutions, systems and components. The products e2v manufacture are used in a diverse range of high performance applications including not only space imaging and advanced medical therapy, but also energy saving industrial processing systems.

Keith joined the company as Managing Director in 1998 and in 2002 he led a management buy-out from parent corporation Marconi, subsequently floating the new company on the London Stock Exchange in 2004.

Under Keith's leadership, e2v has demonstrated how the manufacturing industry can succeed in the UK by focussing on niche global sectors requiring a high level of engineered added value. e2v has doubled its sales as it has diversified into new product areas and expanded into new global markets through acquisitions and organic growth. e2v has proven to be a real home-grown success story. Keith has firmly positioned the company as an industry leader, delivering technological innovations that have won a variety of prestigious awards. For example, in 2004 e2v won the Queen's Award for Technology for developments in cancer radiotherapy treatments, and again in 2006 for the development of low-light imaging devices. These are but two of the 13 Queens awards achieved by the e2v team.

Throughout this period of significant growth, under Keith's leadership e2v has also placed focus on the important issue of corporate social responsibility, a subject that Keith is deeply committed to. The company has consistently met some very challenging objectives and this was formally recognised when a platinum level award in Business in the Community's environmental index was achieved. In line with Keith's deep commitment to corporate responsibility, Keith has led the initiative to move beyond environmental responsibility by electing to be measured against the full Corporate Responsibility index. This year e2v was awarded the gold standard in this all encompassing measure of commitment to responsible business practices.

e2v has a strong record of engaging with all levels of academia, from schools to universities, including having been involved in collaborations with the University of Nottingham and The Open University. In 2011 the company won a grant of over £6 million from the Regional Growth Fund to invest in their microwave processing systems, a project that involves close collaboration with the University of Nottingham. It is a fine example of how UK companies are working with universities to achieve both technological advances and commercial success. e2v also runs high-quality graduate and apprenticeship schemes, supporting young people to train as qualified technicians and engineers.

In addition to his duties as company executive, Keith has also served as Chair of the CBI East of England Regional Council, and he is currently Chair of the CBI Education and Skills Committee.

With its headquarters in Chelmsford, e2v is a significant stakeholder in the city, and Keith's continued success as CEO of a global organisation experiencing further expansion makes him a worthy recipient of this award.

Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Keith Attwood for the award of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa."