Anthony Purssell
Anthony John Richard Purssell | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1926 Shimla, India |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, Brewer, Rower |
| Known for | President of the Institute of Brewing; Competed in 1948 Summer Olympics rowing |
Anthony John Richard Purssell (born 5 July 1926), commonly referred to as Tony Purssell, is a distinguished English business leader in brewing and an accomplished Olympic rower. He has held the position of President at the Institute of Brewing.
Biography
Born on 5 July 1926 in Shimla, India, Purssell entered into marriage with Ann Margaret Batchelor in 1952, and together they have two sons and one daughter.
He completed his Bachelor of Arts with honours in chemistry at Oriel College, Oxford in 1948. During his time at Oxford, he achieved three blues for rowing and competed for Great Britain in the coxed four event at the 1948 Summer Olympics, advancing to the quarter-finals. That year marked the beginning of his career at Guinness's Park Royal facility as a brewer. By 1955, he was leading the research laboratory and took charge as brewer in 1960. In 1963, he was named director of Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Park Royal) Ltd., simultaneously serving as Director of Personnel. His career progressed to Managing Director of the company in 1968, a role he also fulfilled at Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Ltd between 1973 and 1975. Subsequently, he held the Managing Director position at Arthur Guinness & Sons Plc until 1981 before assuming the role of Joint Deputy Chairman for an additional two years.
Purssell’s expertise extended beyond brewing into various governance roles, including membership on the Independent Broadcasting Authority from 1976 to 1981, participation in the Civil Aviation Authority between 1984 and 1990, and involvement with the Thames Valley and South Midlands Regional Board. He served as Regional Director of Lloyds Bank Plc from 1982 until 1991, also chairing the bank from 1989 to 1991. His philanthropic commitments include serving as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of Oxfam from 1985 to 1992, followed by Trustee duties beginning in 1993 and Chairmanship from 1995 to 1998 at the Epilepsy Society, where he was appointed vice-president in 2010.
Within professional organizations, Purssell contributed to the Council of the Institute of Brewing during two periods (1960–63 and 1968–72), held the office of Deputy President in 1972, served as President from 1974 to 1976, and later assumed vice-presidential duties. He holds fellowships with both the institute and the Incorporated Brewers' Guild and is recognized as a Companion of the British Institute of Management.