Michael John Baunton CBE
Pro-Chancellor, distinguished friends, colleagues, graduands and guests.
Michael Baunton has global leadership experience in engineering and production, having worked at the highest levels within the manufacturing industry for more than thirty years.
Michael Baunton was born in Norfolk, but began his working life at Automotive Products in Leamington Spa. He studied a sandwich course in Mechanical Engineering at Coventry, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. In 1975 he obtained a Masters degree in Business Analysis from Lancaster University. He also spent a year in Kenya on Voluntary Service Overseas.
He first moved into a senior management level position with Quinton Hazell Automotive in 1977, where he stayed for eight years, rising to become Managing Director. In 1985 he joined the global autoparts company Tenneco as the Managing Director of Munroe Australia, moving on to manage the European operation in 1987. In 1993 he became President of Walker Manufacturing in the USA, another subsidiary of Tenneco.
In 1995 he joined Perkins Engines in Peterborough as Group Chief Executive, becoming President in 1998 when the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar. He subsequently became Vice-President of Caterpillar’s Product Development and Operations Divisions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, responsible for some thirty manufacturing units including Caterpillar operations in Belgium and France, European Fabrications, Global Paving and Global Work Tools.
He retired from Caterpillar in 2009.
Michael was President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders from 2002 to 2003, and more recently he was President of the Engineering Employers Federation from 2003 to 2005. He is currently the Chairman of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Industry Forum, besides holding other non-executive posts in the USA and Europe. He has a particular interest in renewable energy and is a non-executive director of TT Electronics and of fuel cell firm Acal Energy.
Michael has been closely involved with projects to promote awareness of science, technology and engineering in schools. He also takes an active interest in the work of the University he studied at.
In 2004 Michael was made a Commander of the British Empire for his services to the United Kingdom’s automotive and engineering industries.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the automotive and engineering industries, Coventry University, by decision of the Academic Board, has the privilege of conferring the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, on Michael Baunton.