David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, HonFRS, HonFREng (born 24 October 1940) is a British politician, businessman and philanthropist. From 1992 to 1997, he served as chairman of Sainsbury's, the supermarket chain established by his great grandfather John James Sainsbury in 1869.
The Right Honourable The Lord Sainsbury of Turville | |
|---|---|
Sainsbury in 2013 | |
| Chancellor of the University of Cambridge | |
| Assumed office 16 October 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Prince Philip |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation | |
| In office 27 July 1998 – 10 November 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | John Battle |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Wicks |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
Lord Temporal | |
| Life peerage 3 October 1997 – 1 July 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David John Sainsbury 24 October 1940 |
| Political party | Labour (1960s–81; since 1996) SDP (1981–88) 'Continuing' SDP (1988–90) |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Carroll, Lady Sainsbury, DBE |
| Relations | Alan Sainsbury (uncle) |
| Parent(s) | Robert Sainsbury (father) Lisa van den Bergh (mother) |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge (BA) Columbia University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Businessman, philanthropist |
He was made a life peer in 1997 as a member of the Labour Party, and was on a leave of absence from the House of Lords from 15 July 2013 to his retirement in 2021. He served in the government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation from 1998 and 2006.
He is a major donor to the University of Cambridge and, in 2011, was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He also made the largest donation in British political history, giving £8 million to the Liberal Democrats.