The Cutlers - The Company Today

James Newman, Master Cutler Elect

JAMES H NEWMAN - MASTER CUTLER, 2009-2010

James Newman was elected as Master Cutler on 7 September and installed on 6 October 2009. He is a Yorkshire man born and bred. He was educated at Birkdale School, Sheffield and then Wellingborough School, Northamptonshire.  He became a Freeman of the Cutlers' Company in 1996 whilst at Bridon, the wire and rope manufacturers in Doncaster, and a Member in 2006.

As the chairman of three plcs and an active board member of three others, he is well known across the region’s business community. He was also, until recently, Deputy Chairman of the Objective Two Fund in Yorkshire. He has been a Governor of Sheffield Hallam University since 2003.

His career spans more than 35 years mainly in Yorkshire and Yorkshire-based companies. He was articled in Sheffield at Pannell Kerr Forster and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1972, undertaking the audit, accountancy and tax work for many Sheffield businesses, including Tempered Spring, Abbey Glen Laundries, Neepsend Steel,Thorntons Chocolates and, as a lifelong fan, Sheffield Wednesday.

He joined Viners, at the time the largest cutlery company in the UK, in 1975 and over the subsequent years has worked with a large number of different industries, including manufacturing, services and utilities across a variety of sectors - from cutlery and silverware to engineering, printing, textiles and even fur coats!

He has spent almost his entire career on boards as Finance Director, mainly for public companies. His last full time role was from 1995 to 2002 as Group Finance Director and Deputy Chief Executive for Kelda Group plc, the parent company of Yorkshire Water. Since then he has pursued a non-executive career.

In his year Mr Newman plans to promote the region’s business interests further afield.

He has been married to Lesley since 1996 and has three children (two from his previous marriage) - Mathew, Peter and Oliver aged 32, 30 and 11 respectively. He also has two grandchildren.