BAE lands American non-executive after year-long search

BAE Systems moved yesterday to strengthen its board and increase its influence in the United States by appointing a senior director of the American investment bank Goldman Sachs as a non-executive director.

BAE Systems moved yesterday to strengthen its board and increase its influence in the United States by appointing a senior director of the American investment bank Goldman Sachs as a non-executive director.

The recruitment of Peter Weinberg, after a search lasting almost a year, gives the BAE board a majority of non-executive directors once again. The company now has seven non-executives to six executives and said it expected to appoint two further non-executive directors by the end of the year, at least one of whom would be American.

Mr Weinberg, 47, joined Goldmans in 1998, becoming a partner four years later. He has served the bank in various roles including co-head of global investment banking and chief executive of Goldman Sachs International.

Married with three children, Mr Weinberg was born in the US but has dual citizenship of the US and the UK. He is on the board of trustees of the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, the Kravis Leadership Institute in California and the King's Academy in Jordan.

Dick Olver, the chairman of BAE, said Mr Weinberg would make a "significant contribution" to the company's strategy of becoming the premier transatlantic defence company.