Sir John Alexander Raymond Chisholm FREng CEng FIEE FRAeS FInstP[1] (born 27 August 1946) is a British engineer who was chairman of the Medical Research Council and QinetiQ.
[2][3] He was educated at Worth School,[citation needed] and later attended Cambridge University, reading Mechanical Sciences on a scholarship from General Motors.
In response, Chisholm stated that the criticisms were "grossly unfair", and that "the reshaping of QinetiQ had been the greatest achievement of my working life".
Appointed Chairman of the Medical Research Council by the Government, a position he took up in October 2006, he succeeded Sir Anthony Cleaver who had been in the post since 1998.
"[7] In 2007 the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology, after describing him as vague and evasive in answering questions, said "we have serious reservations as to whether Sir John is the right person to guide the MRC Executive through the coming period of change".
Despite his lack of medical qualifications, the Government refuted this statement saying that "Sir John has a first class background in business and has all the qualities and the perspective needed to chair the MRC Council successfully through this period of change...".
[8] The Government also stated in response to the report by House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology that "The MRC is entering a period of change as the Centre's role in developing research evidence to support decision making in policy and practice was highlighted in the Cooksey report recommendations are put into effect.