Trevor Phillips is a writer, broadcaster and businessman. He is an award-winning TV producer and presenter, with three RTS journalism awards to his name, and has written and presented some of the most talked-about programmes of recent years, including "Has Political Correctness Gone Mad?" and "Things We Won't Say About Race That Are True"; the latter was described by The Times as "probably amongst the most important documentaries of the decade". He writes regularly for some of the UK's biggest selling newspapers, including The Daily Mail, The Sun and the Sunday Times, on a variety of subjects. Trevor is also Chairman of Index on Censorship, the international campaign group for freedom of expression.
In his day job he is the Chairman of the Green Park Group, a leading executive recruitment consultancy, and co-founder of the data analytics firm Webber Phillips created with Professor Richard Webber in 2014. He was, until June 2018, the President of the John Lewis Partnership, Europe's largest employee-owned company. In recent years he has written frequently about the organisational and cultural impact of machine learning and AI, and served as a consultant to major tech companies on this topic.
Born to Guyanese immigrant parents, Trevor was educated in London and Georgetown. He started working life as a research chemist, graduating from Imperial College. After a stint as President of the National Union of Students, he entered TV as a researcher for LWT, rising to become Head of Current Affairs. He later set up his own production company, notably making the BBC series "Windrush" and co-authoring the associated Harper Collins book. "Windrush" won both domestic and international awards, and turned a previously obscure episode into an iconic moment in British history.
Trevor has spent four decades in public life, including becoming the founding chair of both the Greater London Authority (2000), and of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (2007). He has also chaired several charities, amongst them the Social Mobility Foundation. He was awarded the OBE for achievements in TV in 1999, and the French order of the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in 2006 for his work on integration and community cohesion. He holds honorary degrees from several universities.
He lives in London with his TV producer wife. He retains a deep interest in the arts, especially theatre and music. He was Chair of the Hampstead Theatre, and a member of the Aldeburgh Festival Council. He is a board member of the Barbican Arts Centre and of The Headlong Theatre Company.
