Former BASF boss replacing Crowther as Skills Academy CEO

London - Philip Jones has been appointed as permanent chief executive officer of the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI) to replace "interim CEO" Craig Crowther with effect from 12 May. Jones, who has spent much of his career at BASF in senior HR roles and as business manager for its Biocides business, is currently leading the High Growth Programme for East Midlands Development Agency.

Jones' appointment followed a "comprehensive selection process" involving process industry employers and NSAPI backer Cogent Sector Skills Council, said a Cogent statement. Crowther, who led the year-long project to establish NSAPI, was among those to have applied for the permanent CEO role, Process Engineering understands. 

While Crowther was introduced as chief executive of NSAPI at the 24 Jan launch of the skills body, his role was always an interim one, according to a Cogent spokesman. The appointment decision, he added, does not necessarily mean that Crowther's experience will be lost to the Academy as he is currently contracted to NSAPI for a considerable period of time.

Prior to taking on his role at NSAPI, Crowther was organisational development manager at the TTE Technical Training Group. He has also held senior operations and HR roles at Northumbria Police and Thomas Swan Group.

"I would like to thank Craig for his tremendous contribution to the establishment and launch of NSAPI. He has been at the forefront of the drive to galvanise employers to collaborate on and contribute to a National Skills Academy for the process industry, Joanna Woolf, chief executive of Cogent Sector Skills Council. Craig’s enthusiasm and passion has helped build a 21st century delivery mechanism for the skills solutions the process industry wants."