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A Chairman's Tale
Sir Nigel Rudd is one of the leading businessmen of his generation. Over the past four decades, he has headed a host of major British companies across a range of different industries, piling up experience that is second to none.
From his modest upbringing in Derby to the commanding heights of UK plc, Rudd recounts his journey with all the unusual forthrightness and penetrating insight that are his hallmarks.
He takes the reader inside the boardrooms as personal and corporate destinies are being settled, against the background of momentous events from the Thatcher Revolution of the 1980s to the financial and Covid crises of this century.
Rudd has seen it all and done most of it. This is his story: riveting, panoramic and definitive.
From his modest upbringing in Derby to the commanding heights of UK plc, Rudd recounts his journey with all the unusual forthrightness and penetrating insight that are his hallmarks.
He takes the reader inside the boardrooms as personal and corporate destinies are being settled, against the background of momentous events from the Thatcher Revolution of the 1980s to the financial and Covid crises of this century.
Rudd has seen it all and done most of it. This is his story: riveting, panoramic and definitive.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 28, 2022
excellent pragmatic book
Great read for any non exec director good practical solutions and Mgmt good man Mgmt enjoyed the book recommend it
Great read for any non exec director good practical solutions and Mgmt good man Mgmt enjoyed the book recommend it
January 4, 2024
From Derby - started in the bottom academic set - and rose his way to the top in three years. Could have stayed to do A-Levels and try to get to Oxford - but started an apprenticeship at an accounting firm.
Became a millionaire at 30 by running a land company and selling properties. He then set up Williams to buy out an industrial chemicals company. From that asset base he acquired a portfolio of industrial companies (some very niche ones such as a plug socket firm) and created one of the first industrial FTSE 100 conglomerates. In the end Williams could not compete with private equity - and it was split up (one of the companies into Chubbs).
1. Whenever a decision of magnitude needs to be taken - such as getting the board views on replacing a CEO - get them to commit to it in writing. It prevents U-turns.
2. A good chairman - always there when needed, but never there when not needed. Chairman on the whole are there to run the board - and ensure that the CEO is sticking to the strategy.
3. Barclay’s inability to boost their LSE share price is in part due to the bias from fund managers, who in 2008 - were denied pre-emption rights when they raised money from the Qatar. Some have never forgiven Barclays.
4. When going for an outside CEO - always remember that people do not want to say negative things about other people, so you only get a very tinted view of a CEO’s ability. Likewise - remember for internal candidates, you know their weaknesses and sometimes unfairly compare them to the “perfect” view of an outside CEO.
Became a millionaire at 30 by running a land company and selling properties. He then set up Williams to buy out an industrial chemicals company. From that asset base he acquired a portfolio of industrial companies (some very niche ones such as a plug socket firm) and created one of the first industrial FTSE 100 conglomerates. In the end Williams could not compete with private equity - and it was split up (one of the companies into Chubbs).
1. Whenever a decision of magnitude needs to be taken - such as getting the board views on replacing a CEO - get them to commit to it in writing. It prevents U-turns.
2. A good chairman - always there when needed, but never there when not needed. Chairman on the whole are there to run the board - and ensure that the CEO is sticking to the strategy.
3. Barclay’s inability to boost their LSE share price is in part due to the bias from fund managers, who in 2008 - were denied pre-emption rights when they raised money from the Qatar. Some have never forgiven Barclays.
4. When going for an outside CEO - always remember that people do not want to say negative things about other people, so you only get a very tinted view of a CEO’s ability. Likewise - remember for internal candidates, you know their weaknesses and sometimes unfairly compare them to the “perfect” view of an outside CEO.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews