Born in Grimsby, David Drewry graduated in geography and geology at Queen Mary, University of London, before gaining a PhD in geophysics from the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge. For 12 years he participated in and led joint UK–US research programmes in Antarctica. Professor Drewry was appointed director of the SPRI in 1983 and of the British Antarctic Survey in 1987. He became Director of Science and Technology at the Natural Environment Research Council in 1994. Five years later he became vice-chancellor of the University of Hull – a position that he held for 10 years. He helped to establish the Hull York Medical School, substantially expanded the Hull Campus and supported collaborative ventures including The Deep and the Hull History Centre. Professor Drewry is vice-president of the European University Association and a trustee at the Natural History Museum, London. He is an honorary fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and holds several visiting professorships. He was vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and a member of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He has received the Polar Medal, the United States Antarctic Service Medal, the Prix de la Belgica Gold Medal of the Belgian Academy of Sciences and the Patron’s Gold Medal of the RGS. He also has a mountain and a glacier named after him in Antarctica.

Though London-born, Darryl Stephenson has become a leading figure in the public sector of the East Riding. He recently retired as chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which he set up in 1995 – it is one of three local authorities that he has headed. Well respected throughout local government, he has been a leading member of the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives (which he also chaired) as well as various trade unions. Darryl has also served as clerk to a police authority, a fire authority, a sea fisheries committee and the Humber Bridge Board. In addition, he is a former chairman of the Hull and East Riding Drug Action Team, Connexions Humber and the Humberside Training and Enterprise Council as well as a former trustee of Age Concern. A solicitor by profession, he has advised Government departments and the Local Government Association and is a member of the Adjudication Panel for England. He also acts as a strategic adviser to Deloitte on local and regional government. He has undertaken many commissions for both the public and private sectors and is managing director of a consultancy company specialising in public-sector management. He now chairs the public-sector advisory group for Hull University Business School (where he is a visiting professor) and was recently appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of the East Riding of Yorkshire.