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Utilities Group, a division with a turnover of US$1billion. Both during and after my time at PW/PwC, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in a number of ways in the UK. My positions included: President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Auditor of the Duchy of Cornwall; founding Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (reporting directly to Parliament on the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK’s international aid programme); Deputy Chairman of the Financial Reporting Council; member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers; a board member of the Civil Aviation Authority; and a member of the Executive Council of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies. These opportunities extended internationally, bringing the chance to work in approximately 70 countries. I served as President of the International Federation of Accountants, Vice Chair of the World Energy Council and Vice Chair of the UK-India Business Council. Having been appointed CBE in the 2004 Birthday Honours, for services to exports, I was privileged to be invested by Her Late Majesty and enjoy an exceptional morning at Buckingham Palace with my family. It has also been a privilege to serve in a number of charitable roles, including: Financial Adviser to St Paul’s Cathedral; Governor, Trustee and President of Goodenough College; and member of the 2013/14 Lord Mayor’s Appeal Committee. (At Goodenough, I was maintaining a Dulwich connection, former Master of Dulwich and former President of the Alleyn Club David Emms having served as Director from 1987 to 1995.) In the City Civic, I was Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for 2009/10. Most importantly in the OAA context, the circle of life has brought me back to Dulwich. In 2007, Eddie George, as Chairman of the Governors, invited me to become a governor. This I did in 2008, becoming Chair of the Finance Committee during challenging times, which included the collapse of the old Science Block and the building of The Laboratory. Working with fellow governors, the Master and both teaching and operational staff was a huge pleasure. The College is truly blessed to have the support of such dedicated and talented people. On retiring as a governor in 2019, I was honoured to be appointed a Fellow of Dulwich College and now feel privileged to have been elected President of the Old Alleynian Association. What are you currently reading? My maternal grandfather was a teacher and from 1914 to 1926 served in Sarawak and British North Borneo as Headmaster of the Cathedral Schools in Kuching and Sandakan. He was sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield. Ann, my wife, and I have been on a ‘pilgrimage’ to Kuching with our son Alexander, visiting the places we had previously seen only in old photographs and bringing to life what being there had been like for my mother and grandparents. Ann and I now visit the Community and at present we are reading All Sorts and Conditions , which is a collection of stories written by the brethren about how they found their vocations. The range of their backgrounds is astounding and the variety of ways in which they were called is a true inspiration. If you are not at home you are … … with my wonderful wife, with whom I share a love of opera and ballet, at Glyndebourne or at Covent Garden.
What do you hope to achieve in your year as President? I aim to work with the committee and the Secretary to make the Old Alleynian Association even more useful to OAs and even more helpful to the College. What was your time like at the College? How did you spend your time? Do you have any particular memories? Coming from a very small prep school, I found the sheer size of Dulwich daunting, and I did not really find my feet until the Third Form. I was tall, but it was not until then that my strength caught up with my height and I could represent the College on the rugby field. I started with the U14s and progressed via, inter alia, the Colts (coached by the wonderful Terry Walsh) to the 1st XV in 1968. That year, we won every match, and in 1969, we lost only once – to St Paul’s on a dismal, dreary and dank afternoon at Osterley. The highlight of the 1968 season was beating Llandovery College, who were coached by former Welsh International Carwyn James, five tries to nil. The fixture was played in Llandovery and the whole village closed down to come and watch the match. I was also chosen for the athletics team, at discus, shot putt and the occasional high jump, and was Secretary in my final year. As Captain of basketball, I convinced the powers that be that it should be recognised as an official Minor Sport. Music at Dulwich is and was wonderful. I joined the school choir at 13, as a ‘proper bass’, having demonstrated a bottom D flat to Alan Morgan, and really enjoyed singing in the great oratorios at the school concerts given at the Royal Festival Hall and the Fairfield Halls. The CCF was especially enjoyable. I was in the Royal Naval Section, becoming Cadet Coxswain for the 1969/70 academic year. The experience was wonderful, teaching me followership, leadership and teamwork. The summer camps at the Loch Ewe submarine base and on the Norfolk Broads were memorable. Academically, I was on the science side, specialising in chemistry, for which George Way and Peter Rees (who also was Officer in Charge of the Royal Naval Section) were particularly inspiring teachers. It was flattering to be awarded the BL Brown Memorial Science Removes Prize, given to ‘the boy in the Science Removes who is most worthy of it’: a finely crafted definition, which in practice meant that it is an all-rounder’s prize. Benefiting from some exceptional coaching from Peter Rees, I obtained a place to read chemistry at Jesus College, Oxford. There is no doubt in my mind that Dulwich provides an outstanding all-round education that is second to none. What did you do after leaving Dulwich? Oxford provided a broad and fulfilling educational experience. The chemistry was even more fascinating than I had expected and included a year researching aspects of synthesising MCD peptide, which had the potential to relieve arthritis. Sport beckoned again. Three Boxing Blues came my way, including being Captain of the Oxford University Amateur Boxing Club for the 1973/74 season. We beat Cambridge 7–2; the greatest winning margin since 1954. In addition, I played rugby for the College, occasional rugby for the Greyhounds and threw the odd discus for the Authentics (although not against Cambridge). On leaving Oxford, I joined Price Waterhouse – subsequently PricewaterhouseCoopers – where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant (second prize in the final examination). I stayed with them for 36 years, 24 as a partner, and was Chairman of their World
MEET YOUR PRESIDENT GRAHAM WARD CBE MA FCA 1963-1970
In 1963, Graham came to Dulwich College having been granted a local authority scholarship from the Croydon Education Authority. To this day, Graham still feels blessed to have benefited from the Dulwich Experiment and took every opportunity to make the most of his time at the College.
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