David Edmonds (Chair)

David Edmonds was appointed as the inaugural Chairman of the Legal Services Board (LSB) on 1st May 2008. The appointment was made by the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice. David has extensive leadership experience of senior management teams in commercial and public sector organisations, in both Chair and Chief Executive roles. After a career in the senior civil service and as Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, he spent seven years as a Managing Director within the NatWest Group. David’s regulatory experience includes five years as Director General of Telecommunications for the United Kingdom, and two years as a founding member of the Board of Ofcom. He was the Chair of the Board of NHS Direct from 2003-2008. He has served for four years as a Commissioner at the Legal Services Commission. He is also Chairman of Wincanton PLC, a non-executive director of several PLCs, and a Trustee of the Social Market Foundation. David took up his post on 1 May 2008. He was educated at Helsby County Grammar School, Cheshire and the University of Keele, from whom he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2007. He enjoys opera, theatre, art, travel, mountain walking and golf.