Alastair Ross Goobey CBE (1945-2008)

Alastair Ross Goobey CBE, honorary fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, who died on 2 February 2008, aged 62, is pictured receiving his honorary fellow certificate in 2001 from Peter Clark (1947-2006), president of the Institute from 2000 to 2002.

Goobey enjoyed a colourful career spanning the worlds of finance, politics and the arts. He is perhaps best known for his role as chief executive of Hermes (formerly PosTel) from 1993 to 2001.

He stood unsuccessfully as a Conservative candidate in the 1979 elections, later serving as a special adviser to the Treasury in 1986 and Goobey (left), former chief executive of Hermes 1987 and again in the run-up to the General Election in 1992. He was chair of the Treasury’s Private Finance panel until 1997.

After leaving Hermes, Goobey held a number of non-executive appointments. Between 2002 and 2005, he was chairman of the International Corporate Governance Network.

Among his many other roles, he was a governor of the Wellcare Trust and the Royal Academy of Music, and investment adviser to the Royal Opera House and the National Gallery.

He married Sarah Stille in 1969, with whom he had a son and a daughter.