Lord Puttnam began his career in advertising and started producing films in 1968. He played a major role in reviving the British film industry internationally in the 1980s.
He has served on a number of public bodies, including the National Film and TV School, as chairman, and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta).
He was chairman and chief executive of Columbia Pictures in the late 1980s.
He was made chairman of the General Teaching Council (GTC) last year.
Speaking at the launch of the GTC last September, Lord Puttnam called for a more positive image for teaching.
Earlier last year he drew a parallel between education and the film industry.
"You can't bully people into making good movies," he said. "But you can love them into it, and encourage them, make them feel 10ft tall."
He received the Special Jury Prize at Cannes for The Duellists, and has won Oscars for Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields, and the Palme D'Or for The Mission.
He was awarded the Michael Balcon Award for outstanding contribution to the British film industry at the British Academy Awards in 1982.
