Sir John Sunderland

Sir John Sunderland, CBE, FRSA, was installed as Aston University’s fourth Chancellor on 4 May 2011.

Sir John joined Cadbury Limited in 1968. He worked on both the confectionery and soft drinks sides of the business, on the Boards of Cadbury Ireland, Cadbury Schweppes South Africa, as a founding Director of the Coca-Cola Schweppes joint venture in 1987, and then as Managing Director of Trebor Bassett.

In 1993, he became Managing Director of the Confectionery Stream and a member of the Cadbury Schweppes Board. In September 1996, he was appointed Chief Executive and seven years later, he became Chairman. He retired in 2008.

Sir John is currently Chairman of Merlin Entertainments Group, a non-Executive Director of Barclays plc, a Director of the Financial Reporting Council, an adviser to CVC Capital Partners, an Association Member of BUPA, and a member of Council at Reading University. Until his appointment as Chancellor, he was also a member of Council at Aston.

He has held a number of Presidencies of trade bodies, including the Confederation of British Industry, the Chartered Management Institute, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers and the UK Food and Drink Federation. He is a former non-Executive Director of the Rank Group plc and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

He was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2006 for services to business.