Howard Kerr read Geography at St John’s College, Oxford.  While at university, he was Captain of the Rugby Club, a member of the Boat Club, and President of the Amalgamated Sports Clubs.  After St John’s he undertook a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Cranfield University.

After a period at Associated British Ports, Howard Kerr’s early career was spent in business development roles in the fields of shipping, logistics and B2B marketing with Inchcape PLC in the UK, Japan, China and the Middle East. Subsequently he joined SHV Holdings NV, where he held general management positions in the energy division, including Chief Executive of Calor Group Ltd, UK, and Senior Vice-President on the International Management Board of SHV Gas in the Netherlands.

Howard Kerr was appointed to the Board of BSI in November 2008 and assumed the position of Chief Executive in January 2009.  BSI provides technical standards on a wide range of products and services in the UK. Howard Kerr retired as Chief Executive of The British Standards Institution (BSI) at the end of 2020, and is committed to sharing his experience and enthusiasm for business with pupils through outreach programmes.