Robert Malpas, British company executive. Decorated commander Order British Empire; recipient Order of Civil Merit, Spain, 1967, knighted for service to industry, science and technical, 1998. Fellow Engineering Institute Chem Engineers, Institute Mechanics Engineers, Institute Energy, Royal Society Chemistry (honorary); member Royal Swedish Academy Engineering Sciences (foreign), American Academy Engineering (foreign associate), Royal Automobile Club.
Background
The son of Cheshyre Malpas and his wife Louise Marie Marcelle Malpas, he was educated at Taunton School and Street George"s College, Quilmes, Argentina, and then at the University of Durham, where he graduated Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering with first class honours.
Education
Bachelor of Science with honors, Durham (England) University, 1948.
Career
Much of his career was spent with Imperial Chemical Industries. In 1948 Malpas joined Imperial Chemical Industries, remaining with the company until 1963. He then transferred to Alcudia Société Anonyme, a Spanish company then almost half-owned by Imperial Chemical Industries, and in 1965 to Imperial Chemical Industries Europa Limited, based in Brussels. From 1978 to 1982 he was President of Halcon International Incorporated., from 1983 to 1989 a Managing director of Boite Postale, from 1990 Chairman of PowerGen, from 1991 to 1998 Chairman of the Cookson Group, simultaneously serving as Company-Chairman of Eurotunnel from 1996 to 1998.
From 1998 to 2002 he was Chairman of Ferghana Partners Limited.
He was also a director of Repsol Société Anonyme (1989–2002), the BOC Group (1981–1996), Eurotunnel (1987–1999), Enagas, Spain (2002–2006), and Agcert Public Limited Company (2005–2008). In retirement, he is chairman of the board of RL Automotive.
His book, based on a series of articles which appeared in a special issue of Scientific American in 1990, considers the factors governing the way people use energy, dividing them into economic and social forces. In 1956 Malpas married firstly Josephine Dickenson.
In Who"s Who he states his recreations as "Sport, music, theatre, golf".
Order of Civil Merit, Spain, 1967.
Achievements
Membership
He was Chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries Europa Limited and a member of the Imperial Chemical Industries Main Board before becoming a managing director of Boite Postale, Chairman of PowerGen and the Cookson Group, and Company-Chairman of Eurotunnel. He became Chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries Europa Limited in 1973 and from 1975 to 1978 was a member of the Imperial Chemical Industries Main Board. He served as a Member of the Engineering Council from 1983 to 1988 and was its Vice-Chairman from 1984 to 1988.
A member of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, 1983–1986.
Chairman of the LINK Steering Group, 1987–1993 and of the Natural Environment Research Council, 1993–1996.