BG plc today announced the appointment of Christopher Hampson as a Non-Executive Director of the company.

Currently Non-Executive Chairman of RMC Group plc, he is a former Chairman of Yorkshire Electricity Group and has wide experience of regulatory issues and international business.

A Canadian by birth, Chris Hampson is a Non-Executive Director of the SNC-Lavalin Group Inc and TransAlta Corporation, both in Canada. A member of the Board of the UK Government Environmental Agency, he is also Vice-President of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA).

Chris Hampson graduated from McGill University in Chemical Engineering. He joined Canadian Industries Ltd - a Canadian subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) - where he rose to become Senior Vice President and a Director. He was then seconded to ICI head office in London in 1978 as General Manager Group Planning.

He was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive of ICI Australia Ltd in Melbourne in 1984. During his time in Australia he was a member of the Business Council of Australia, Vice-President of the Confederation of Australian Industry and a Director of the National Mutual Royal Bank.

Mr Hampson returned to London in 1987, becoming a Director of ICI. During his time on the Board, he held a number of differing portfolios. He retired from ICI at the end of April 1994, at which point he was responsible for Safety, Health and the Environment, all Regional Businesses, the Far East and Restructuring.

Appointed Chairman of Yorkshire Electricity Group plc in 1994, he resigned this position following the takeover of the company by American interests in April this year.

Aged 66, Chris Hampson is married with two sons and three daughters. He was awarded the CBE in 1994.