Gerald Corbett

Gerald Corbett
Born	(1951-09-07) September 7, 1951
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	Chairman of Marylebone Cricket Club (2015–2021), chairman of Segro plc, Britvic plc, Betfair; chief executive of Railtrack

Gerald Michael Nolan Corbett (born 7 September 1951) is a retired business executive who served as chairman of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from 2015 until 2021. Throughout his career, he held directorships at thirteen publicly traded companies, acting as chairman for seven of them. From 2016 to 2022, Corbett was chairman of Segro plc, a FTSE 100 company specializing in industrial property logistics. He led Britvic plc as chairman for twelve years, stepping down in September 2017 after overseeing its initial public offering in 2005. Between 2012 and 2016, he chaired Betfair, managing its merger with Paddy Power which resulted in the creation of Paddy Power Betfair.

Corbett’s professional journey included an extensive period as a finance director, making him one of the longest-serving members within the FTSE 100 Group of Finance Directors, before transitioning to the role of chief executive at Railtrack during the Conservative Government's railway privatisation era.

Early career

Educated at Tonbridge School, Corbett pursued history at Cambridge University, where he was recognized as a foundation scholar. He further enhanced his qualifications with studies at London Business School and Harvard Business School. His early career began in the mid-1970s with the Boston Consulting Group. In 1982, he joined electrical retailer Dixons, where he progressed to become group Financial Controller and Corporate Finance Director.

After five years at Dixons, Corbett moved on to serve as Group Finance Director at the international building materials company Redland. In 1993, he assumed the role of Group Finance Director at food and beverage conglomerate Grand Metropolitan. When Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness in 1997 to form Diageo, Corbett left to take up the position of Chief Executive at Railtrack, a post he held until November 2000.

Railtrack

Shortly following Corbett’s appointment in September 1997, Railtrack experienced a fatal accident at Southall, West London, resulting in seven passenger deaths. In October 1999, another crash near Paddington claimed 31 lives, marking the most severe rail disaster in the UK in ten years.

The company faced significant regulatory pressure amid accusations of a "culture of defiance" due to failures in meeting punctuality targets. Corbett had previously described Paddington station as "best protected," a comment criticized by Lord Cullen during the official inquiry for suggesting complacency or misplaced assurance regarding Railtrack’s safety protocols.

In October 2000, a derailment near Hatfield, Hertfordshire caused four fatalities. Corbett offered his resignation following this incident; although initially declined by Railtrack’s board, he publicly attributed many issues to fragmentation stemming from privatisation and called on government and regulators to reconsider their strategies. He eventually left with a compensation package estimated around £1.3 million, which included accrued pension entitlements.

Corbett faced health and safety charges related to the Hatfield accident; however, these were dismissed in 2004 due to lack of sufficient evidence.

His period leading Railtrack was portrayed in David Hare’s play "The Permanent Way" and the television drama "Derailed," both illustrating public controversies and personal challenges during his tenure.

After Railtrack

In March 2001, Corbett resumed his association with Woolworths by managing its separation from Kingfisher plc. Following the demerger in August that year, he served as chairman until his resignation in 2007 after a profits warning; Woolworths subsequently entered administration in 2008.

He was appointed non-executive chairman of Health Club Holdings (Holmes Place fitness clubs) in October 2003 but stepped down in 2005 to lead soft drinks company Britvic as chairman. Under his leadership, Britvic went public on the London Stock Exchange in December 2005.

Corbett also held non-executive directorships at Burmah-Castrol plc and MEPC plc. Between 2004 and 2010, he was a non-executive director at Greencore Group plc, an Irish food producer based in Dublin. His governance roles included Chairmanship of Abbot's Hill School Governors (1997–2002) and serving as a governor at Luton University. In addition, he fulfilled duties as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 2010.

In July 2005, Corbett became Chairman of SSL International, known for Durex and Scholl brands. SSL’s profits tripled from 2005 to 2010 during an international expansion under his leadership. In 2010, he orchestrated its sale to Reckitt Benckiser for £2.5 billion—a share price increase of approximately 400% over five years.

He chaired Moneysupermarket.com plc from its listing in 2007 until April 2014. Additionally, he led Towry, a wealth advisory firm, between 2012 and 2014 and served as a non-executive director of Numis plc starting in 2008 before becoming chairman from 2014 through 2017.

Corbett contributed to charitable causes as chairman of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation (trustee from 2010 to 2019) and led fundraising efforts for St Albans Cathedral Music Trust (2010–16), notably supporting construction of the Welcome Centre at St Albans Cathedral. He was appointed High Sheriff of Hertfordshire for the term spanning 2010–11 and participated on the Shrieval Association Council from 2008 to 2012.

In September 2015, Corbett assumed chairmanship of the Marylebone Cricket Club. During his leadership, members approved a master development plan for Lord's cricket ground in 2017 that included reconstruction of the Warner, Compton, and Edrich stands.

He was also named Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire in 2015.