Published on 16, July, 2024
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Sir Nigel Wilson – former Group Chief Executive of Legal & General – has been awarded the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration by the University of Sunderland.
Sir Nigel was born in Norwich in 1956 but moved to Darlington just six weeks later.
He was then educated at Ferryhill Grammar School before moving onto Essex University in 1976 to study both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics.
After he was awarded two Kennedy Scholarships, Sir Nigel went on to complete a PhD in Economics where he was taught by Nobel Laureates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.
He later went on to teach statistics and finance and work at the National Bureau of Economic Research as well as a computer consultant.
Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, Sir Nigel’s career spanned the globe starting with his role at the Consultancy agency McKinsey & Co.
After various high-profile roles, Sir Nigel joined Legal & General as Group Chief Financial Officer in 2009, a FTSE 30 company and market leader in the financial sector. In 2012, Sir Nigel was appointed as Group Chief Executive.
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As part of Legal & General’s Urban Regeneration scheme, Sir Nigel has worked with Universities, Councils and Governments around the UK to transform towns and cities. Through his leadership, cities and town like Cardiff, Newcastle, Manchester and Sunderland have seen around £40 billion of investment to regenerate communities and better people’s lives. It was during this period that Legal & General was awarded the Most Admired Company and Most Inspirational Leadership two years in a row with Sir Nigel voted the Most Admired Leader. Throughout his career, Sir Nigel has also worked with successive governments and has advised Prime Ministers on matters of business and the markets. Sir Nigel received a knighthood in 2022 for his services to the financial industry, regional development and supporting sport. He has since retired from Legal & General. Sir Nigel received his honour at the Stadium of Light during the University’s Summer Graduation Ceremonies, which he attended with his family.