BIOGRAPHY – CHARLES BURTON

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, OXFORD ECONOMICS

Charles Burton has had a long career in business economics. He began his career in 1974 as an economist for Beecham Pharmaceuticals, before joining the Confederation of British Industry in 1975. He spent 10 years at the CBI, where he ran the CBI's business surveys and economic forecasting teams. Latterly as Deputy Director of Economics, he was also responsible for the CBI's economic policy representations.

Between 1985 and 1988, he was in charge of the economic forecasting and consultancy business of Wharton Econometrics in the UK and N Europe.

In 1988, he was one of the founding directors and Chief Executive of Business Strategies Ltd, a leading independent forecasting and consulting operation. After its acquisition by Experian in 2002, he was the global MD for the Business Strategies division within Experian.

He acquired Construction Forecasting and Research and was a member of the construction industry forecasting panel for many years.

He joined Oxford Economics in April 2008 as the Director of Business Development.

He is also a Fellow and council member of the Society of Business Economists and non-executive Chairman of the Lewis Charles Sofia Property Fund Ltd. He is a member of the Scottish Government's Economic Consultants Advisory Group.