Keith Skeoch, Chair of Business School Advisory Board

The University of Sussex Business School has appointed Keith Skeoch, former CEO of Standard Life Aberdeen and Sussex alumnus (Economics 1978), as Chair of its Advisory Board.

Keith takes over from outgoing Chair, Dominic Rossi, former Global Chief Investment Officer at Fidelity International, who is retiring.

Keith joined Standard Life Investments (SLI) in 1999 as Chief Investment Officer and was appointed Chief Executive of that division in 2004 and to the main board of Standard Life plc following demutualisation in 2006. Keith led the exponential growth of SLI in terms of assets under management, geographic footprint, revenue stream, organisational capability and brand strength. He was appointed CEO of Standard Life plc in 2015 and then as CEO of Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) having led the separation of the life business to Phoenix in 2018 and the subsequent formation of a global, focussed and capital light investment house. Keith stepped down as CEO of SLA in September 2020.

Keith is currently Chair of the Investment Association, Chair of the ring-fencing and proprietary trading independent review panel, Interim Chair of the Financial Reporting Council, Chair of the Edinburgh International Festival and a member of the UK Takeover Panel.  Keith is also a Trustee of the Standard Life Foundation.

Keith said: “I am looking forward to working closely with the Business School and fellow Advisory Board members. The School is a world leader in energy and development economics, and sustainability research. With its commitment to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education, the School is preparing future business leaders to uphold standards in ethics, responsibility and sustainability which are vital in tackling the impact of climate change and the environmental threats facing society and the planet. The University has long been recognised for its tradition of engaging with business and the community to stimulate innovation through partnership to benefit the wider society, which is something I strongly believe in.“

Professor Steve McGuire, Dean of the Business School, said:

“We are delighted to have Keith join our Advisory Board as Chair. His wealth of expertise and experience in the financial sector will be highly valuable as we continue to strengthen our position as a leading, global Business School. Keith already has a long standing relationship with the University and as a supporter of the Business School. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University in recognition of his contributions to the finance industry. As a Sussex alumnus, he continues to inspire both our current students and recent graduates.”

I’d like to also thank Dominic for all his work with the School over the last few years. He was instrumental in developing the new MSc Sustainable Finance and Accounting, helping us gain both EQUIS and AMBA accreditation, and navigate the challenges brought by the global pandemic. Dominic is a Sussex alumnus (Politics 1982) and also a donor supporting the Hornsey Scholarship.”