Edward Astle, MA, MBA

Edward joined the Board of Governors in 2014.

Edward Astle has spent most of his career in the telecoms and utilities sector. He served on the boards, and ran substantial divisions, of Cable and Wireless (1989 to 1997), BICC (1997 to 1999) and National Grid (2001 to 2008). Between 1999 and 2001 he chaired two start-ups and one plc which had just floated on the London Stock Exchange, all of which telecoms-related. 

From 2008 to 2013 Edward was Pro Rector, Enterprise, at Imperial College London, leading a team which supported the university’s links with business, particularly for corporate research funding, and its international ventures. He also oversaw the university’s relationship with Imperial Innovations.

Educated at Manchester Grammar School and Queens College Oxford, and with an MBA from INSEAD, Edward is currently a non-executive director of Intertek Plc, one of three independent members of BT plc’s Equality of Access Board, and Vice Chair of the prisoner literacy charity Shannon Trust.