The Foundation stems from a joint work study project by several major British companies in the 1960s. The co-operation, which included the setting up of joint teams to carry out studies in various plants of the participating companies, proved very successful and paved the way for the formation of the British Work Measurement Data Foundation in 1970.
Discussions between member companies began to cover broader aspects of productivity and company competitiveness. The structure of the meetings changed to examine policy matters and inviting government speakers to lead the discussions.
It became apparent that the Foundation could play a much more significant and necessary role by widening its activities to cover government policy and managerial aspects of major concern that might be susceptible to high-level discussion or study with other Foundation companies and policy-makers.
In order to recognise what was by this time an established wider role, the Foundation was formally reconstituted in November 1979 as the British Management Data Foundation.
Membership was, and still is, by invitation only and is restricted to a maximum of about 25 organisations and is available to a limited number of British-based companies in order to keep a responsive, informal and mutually supportive atmosphere and to enable projects to be progressed quickly and effectively and to enable members to be represented at all meetings at which they have an interest.
Aims of the Foundation
Promote the solution of issues on policy matters through the use of off-the-record discussions that cover areas of concern for the member companies with UK Government ministers and EU Commissioners, senior officials of UK Government departments and EU Commission, senior members of the UK and EU parliaments and senior officials from regulatory bodies.
All meetings organised by the BMDF are held with government ministers, senior officials from the UK Government departments, regulatory bodies and officials from the European Commission.
Use the varied and considerable experience of members to mutual benefit and to widen members perspective.
Production of papers by independent leading authorities, which are distributed to the member companies to provide supporting documentation in the areas that are being studied.
Conduct its affairs on an informal, supportive and confidential basis encouraging all members to contribute and to participate.
The Direcors of the BMDF
The Director of the BMDF is Andrew Cowgill BSc ACA CTA, who was appointed in 2009.
The Founding Director was Anthony Cowgill MBE, who was the Director of the BMDF from 1979 to 2009. See his obituary.
The BMDF has a Council of Management which oversees and directs the activities of the Foundation.