Michael Lyons (BBC chairman)

Sir Michael Thomas Lyons (born 15 September 1949), is the non-executive chairman of the English Cities Fund and Participle Ltd; he is a former Chairman of the BBC Trust.

He is a former Labour Party councillor and council chief executive in the United Kingdom, who has also been involved in some of the key central government commissions and reports into local government finance from 2000 to 2007.

Michael Lyons was educated at Stratford Grammar School (London), Middlesex University, and at Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London. Whilst completing his formal education, he worked for two years as a part-time street trader at Bell St Market, London. Lyons then worked as a lecturer in economics at Wallbrook College, London, and the University of Nottingham.

Lyons worked in the public sector as an economist, and between 1980 and 1983 served as an elected Labour councillor on Birmingham City Council. He then became Chief Executive of three significant local authorities: Wolverhampton Borough Council (1985–90); Nottinghamshire County Council (1990–94); and then Birmingham City Council (1994–2001). Lyons was knighted in January 2000 in recognition of his services to Local Government.

During 2004 he was the chairman of two successful government projects: "Review of Public Sector Relocation" on behalf of the Chancellor and Prime Minister, and "Corporate Governance Commission" on behalf of Cardiff City Council. He was Deputy Chairman of the Audit Commission for two years until October 2006, serving for a while as Acting chairman. In March 2007 he published his final report and recommendations from his three-year independent Inquiry into the future role, function and funding of local government.

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