Stephan Adrian Shakespeare(néKukowski;born 9 April 1957) is the German-Britishco-founderandChief Executive Officer(CEO) of the British Internet-based market research andopinion pollscompanyYouGov.
Stephan Shakespeare | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Stephan Kukowski 9 April 1957 Mönchengladbach,West Germany(now Germany) |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Christ's Hospital |
| Alma mater | Oxford University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
In 2012, Shakespeare was appointed as Chairman of the Data Strategy Board (DSB), the advisory body that was set up by the government to maximise value of data for users across the UK.[1]In October 2012, theDepartment for Business, Innovation and SkillsandCabinet Officeministers announced that he would lead an independent review of Public Sector Information; the "Shakespeare Review: an Independent Review of Public Sector Information" was published in 2013.[2]He has been a member of the government's Public Sector Transparency Board[3]and a trustee of theNational Portrait Gallery, London.[4]
He is the former owner of the websitesConservativeHome(now owned byLord Ashcroft) and PoliticsHome (now owned by Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd) which he launched in April 2008 after closing down hisInternettelevision channel18 Doughty Street.
In 2015, Shakespeare was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in Politics in theDebrett's500.[5]
Early life
editShakespeare was born as Stephan Kukowski in 1957 inMönchengladbach,where his German father, a journalist, was the German Press Liaison Officer of HeadquartersBritish Army of the Rhine.When he was five years old, the family moved to the UK, where he was educated atChrist's Hospitalschool nearHorsham,West Sussex.[citation needed]Stephan was also an artist (as Stephan Kukowski) creating the imaginary "The Brunch Museum", together with thefluxusartistGeorge Brecht,first exhibited inLondonin 1976. After graduating fromOxford,he took a one-year teaching course inKingston upon Thames,during which time he was a member of theSocialist Workers' Student Society.He became a teacher and headmaster inLos Angeles,California in the 1980s. After marrying Rosamund Shakespeare, he exchanged his surname for that of his wife.
After returning home to the UK from the US, he taught atCharles Edward Brooke girls secondary schoolin Lambeth where he used his original family name. He was critical of educational practices in 1990s' Lambeth and theEvening Standardpublished his educational criticisms. He became involved in politics, using the name Shakespeare, first as a political commentator and then asJeffrey Archer'sCampaign Directorduring and after his failedLondon mayoral campaign.He was also aConservative Partypollster.
In the1997 general election,Shakespeare was the Conservative candidate forColchesterthough he was defeated byBob Russellwith a majority of 1,551. During the campaign,Margaret Thatcher,against whom he had demonstrated as a student 17 years earlier, came to Colchester in order to support his attempt to win the seat for the Conservatives.[citation needed]
YouGov
edit
In 2000, Shakespeare foundedYouGovwithNadhim Zahawi.In 2001, YouGov predicted Labour's 10-pointgeneral election victoryto within one percentage point. YouGov expanded its business in 2006–2007 by acquiringmarket researchbusinesses in theMiddle East,the United States, Germany andScandinavia.The company further expanded in 2010 and 2011, acquiring two further businesses in the United States. In 2011, the company established itself inParis.In 2014, YouGov acquiredAsia-Pacificbased business, Decision Fuel.
After a spell as the joint CEO with co-founder Zahawi, Shakespeare took the title of Chief Innovations Officer until he became sole CEO in May 2010, when Zahawi resigned from the board in order to stand for election to theHouse of Commons.As of October 2014, Shakespeare owned about 6 percent of YouGov's shares. In July 2008,The Guardianlisted Shakespeare as among the top 100 media personalities in the UK, calling him "the pollster with the uncanny ability of getting it right."[6]
In 2022, the media reported Shakespeare would be departing YouGov and become Non-Exec Chair.[7]
References
edit- ^"Data Strategy Board".Retrieved17 July2012.
- ^"Shakespeare Review of Public Sector Information".Retrieved7 May2014.
- ^"Public Sector Transparency Board".Retrieved30 January2015.
- ^"National Portrait Gallery Trustees".Retrieved30 January2015.
- ^"Debrett's Top 500 2015".Retrieved30 January2015.
- ^"The media100 2008 82.Stephan Shakespeare".The Guardian.14 July 2008.Retrieved18 July2012.
- ^"YouGov founder CEO Stephan Shakespeare to move to non-exec chair".Proactiveinvestors UK.11 October 2022.Retrieved8 May2023.