Sir Derek Higgs, best known for his groundbreaking report on the role of non-executive directors on company boards, has died at the age of 64, it was announced today.
Higgs was taken ill suddenly on Monday and rushed to hospital but died yesterday afternoon. He was well know in the property industry for his non-executive directorships at British Land from 2001 to 2006 and at Jones Lang LaSalle from 1999.
Colin Dyer, CEO of Jones Lang Lasalle, today paid tribute to Higgs: ‘As a member of our board and as the chair of our audit committee, Sir Derek made a tremendous contribution to the growth and development of Jones Lang LaSalle.
'We are immensely sad about his sudden departure and our thoughts are with his family at this distressing time.’
John Stephen, Jones Lang LaSalle’s England chairman, said: ‘There is a real sense of loss in the firm today - it's a very, very sad day.
'First, as a client of the firm and, later, as a director and adviser for over 10 years, we and many others have benefited from Derek's vast experience and wise counsel. He had the confidence from having seen it all. He always had time and had a great personal touch.’
Higgs’ 2003 review of corporate governance, ‘The Role and Effectiveness of Non-executive Directors’, was published in the wake of the Enron scandal and brought the role of non-executive directors into question.