Alastair (Sandy) Muirhead

Career History 

Read Chemistry at Oxford
Qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1979
Spent 15 years in international investment banking then since January 1996 in private equity
Co-founded Phoenix Equity Partners in 2001 with two colleagues; still involved but as a senior adviser
Trustee of the Royal Horticultural Society 2008-2019 and treasurer 2013-2019
Trustee of the Rivers Trust since 2019 

Tell us something about yourself we wouldn’t expect? 

I’ve climbed all the Munros – the Scottish mountains over 3000ft – more often than not in thick mist and rain! “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills” 

Why did you decide to become a trustee for Premier? 

I was introduced to Premier by David Lucas, who has given so much to Premier over many years before he retired as a trustee in late 2020; I was inspired by Premier’s Christian mission and by its ability, through its various media channels, to reach so many people; driven forward by a wonderful, energetic, committed and entrepreneurial management team led by Peter – it’s a uniquely powerful combination! Peter and previous Chair Roger Bolton persuaded me that I could play a useful role on the Board of Premier given my experience as an investor in helping ambitious companies to grow and prosper, and my experience of governance as a charity trustee. 

Why is this important to you? 

Premier has a really important Christian mission, which is more relevant than ever in this age of global pandemic, and which transcends denominational and geographic boundaries. I felt called to help with this in whatever small way I might be able to 

What would you want with you if stranded on a desert island? 

Well, my wife, Linda, of course. But then the Bible’s – it’s the only book with enough meat in it to satisfy the soul on a desert island 

If you could invite anyone (past/present) to be at your dinner party, who would you choose and why? 

John Lennox; the reconciling of modern science with the Christian faith lies at the heart of my own journey to faith and John articulates this with extraordinary clarity. But I’d be thrilled if John Polkinghorne and Alister McGrath came along too!