Ray Horrocks
Ray Horrocks CBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | Raymond Horrocks January 9, 1930 |
| Died | July 15, 2011 (aged 81) |
| Education | Bolton Municipal Secondary School |
| Known for | CEO of BL Cars |
| Spouse | Pamela Russell |
Raymond Horrocks CBE (9 January 1930 - 15 July 2011)[1] was a businessman from Lancashire, and a chief executive of British Leyland (BL) through the turbulent late 1970s and early 1980s.
Early life
[edit]He attended Bolton Municipal Secondary School (Bolton County Grammar School from 1947, now known as Bolton St Catherine's Academy).
Career
[edit]From 1944-50 he worked in the Lancashire textile industry. From 1948-50 he completed his National Service with the Intelligence Corps.
From 1953-58 he was a merchandiser for M&S.
Ford
[edit]From 1963-72 he worked for Ford of Britain, later becoming a director of Europe and the Middle East (Ford of Europe).
British Leyland
[edit]He joined BL in 1978 being head hunted by the new chairman Michael Edwardes.[2] He was managing director from 1980-81 of BL Cars, becoming chairman and chief executive from 1981-82.
On 1 October 1982, BL was restructured into two main divisions,[3] and from 1982-86 he was group chief executive of BL (Cars).[4] He left BL at the end of April 1986 and was critical of the government's handling of the proposed privatisation.[5]
Personal life
[edit]He married Pamela Russell in 1953; they had three daughters. He was awarded the CBE in the 1983 Birthday Honours. He lived in Pangbourne.
References
[edit]- ^ Companies House
- ^ "Business Diary: BL's Horrocks · Morgan and BR". The Times. No. 60192. 22 December 1977. p. 17.
- ^ The British Motor Industry, 1945-94: A Case Study in Industrial Decline, page 366
- ^ Industrial Policy and the Motor Industry, page 210
- ^ "Government slammed by Austin Rover chief". The Guardian. 10 April 1986. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- 1930 births
- 2011 deaths
- British Leyland people
- British manufacturing chief executives
- Chief executives in the automobile industry
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Ford executives
- Ford of Europe
- Intelligence Corps soldiers
- Marks & Spencer people
- People from Bolton
- People from Pangbourne
- Military personnel from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
- 20th-century British Army personnel