News release

13 July 2006

Former Met Office Chief Executive Peter Ewins has this week been awarded an honorary doctorate by Exeter University.

Peter, who joined the Met Office in August 1997, led the organisation through many fundamental changes. They included establishing the Met Office as a government trading fund and championing the world's developing nations through the World Meteorological Organization.

The highly successful relocation of the Met Office from Bracknell to Exeter was engineered smoothly under his leadership. The move, one of the most complicated ever undertaken in terms of IT, is testament to qualities Peter brought to the job.

This honour celebrates Peter's public service, both with the Met Office and in previous roles throughout his distinguished career, which included a spell at the Cabinet Office. Speaking after receiving his award Peter said: "this is a great honour and I hope it reflects well on the Met Office, which remains a 'Jewel in the Crown' of British science".

Notes to editors:

• Peter Ewins graduated in Aeronautical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London in 1964, and obtained his Master of Science degree from Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1966.
• His career
   
  

  1966-75 -	Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough researching the application of new materials to aerospace structures, specialising in carbon (graphite) fibre reinforced materials.
  1975 -	Section Head, Advanced Composite Materials.
  1980 -	Appointed to the staff of the Chief Scientist (RAF, MOD(HQ)), responsible for operational and effectiveness studies in support of RAF operational planning and procurement programmes.
  1982 -	Superintendent, Helicopters Division, RAE Farnborough.
  1984 -	Head of Personnel Management Division, Cabinet Office, responsible for Civil Service personnel policy.
  1987 -	Director (Nuclear) Projects at MOD.
  1988 -	Director of the Admiralty Research Establishment, the Sea Systems Establishment of MOD.
  1991 -	Managing Director Command and Maritime Systems Group at the Defence Research Agency, later appointed Managing Director (Operations).
  1994 -	MOD Chief Scientist and Head of Profession for the Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG).
  1997 -	Chief Executive of the Met Office.

   
• Peter was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1996 and awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2001.
• He and his wife, Barbara, live in Farnham and have three grown-up children. His interests include horticulture, walking and bee-keeping.