Leading through Crisis: John Cresswell CEO Bibby Line Group: Inspiring Leadership Interview with Jonathan Bowman-Perks

John Cresswell shares insights and stories from the Bibby Line Group a family owned business with 213 years of history. Stories of inspiring leadership in challenging times and practical tips and advice.

John was appointed Bibby Line Group Chief Executive Officer on 1st June 2018, and has substantial experience leading, growing and advising organisations at CEO and executive director levels, previously working in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector for 25 years. Prior to his appointment at Bibby Line Group, John served four-and-a-half years as CEO of Arqiva; previous to that he served as CFO, COO and CEO on the board of ITV plc, and was formerly a director of Liverpool Football and Athletic Grounds plc and a director of Ambassador Theatre Group. John qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, has a BSc in Economics and Politics, and attended the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. John is also a non-executive director and Remuneration Committee Chairman for Capita plc.

John has gained a wealth of experience as a non-executive director at Capita. He also had a fascinating time as chief executive officer at Arqiva and before that was the CEO and CEO of ITV plc having begun as financial director. Keeping in the media world before that he was the CEO of Granada group plc/ITV plc and eight years with United broadcasting and entertainment Ltd. Educated at Keele University where he got a bachelors degree in economics and politics and he also did the advanced management program at Harvard business School in 2005.

John is a humble and modest man who has a lifelong learning attitude and is always open to his own growth and development as well as the development of his leaders and executive team around him. In the Bibby Line Group he had a wide portfolio of different businesses from retail and CostCutter through logistics to financial services, shipping and maintenance of wind farms. Life was never dull and he was required to turn his mind to all these different aspects and also the skill of working with a family business and the generations that have been before and will come after.