James Hanson, Baron Hanson
Company director | |
---|---|
Children | 2, including Robert Hanson[1] |
James Edward, Baron Hanson (20 January 1922 – 1 November 2004) was an
Early life
Educated at
Career
Lord Hanson and Gordon White (later
Hanson's greatest deal was the 1989 purchase of
Hanson developed a track record as a corporate raider, which ultimately worked against him in a failed bid for ICI Group, a chemical group, in 1991 which was at the time the UK's third-largest company.[7] ICI, led by its chairman Sir Denys Henderson hired Goldman Sachs to look into Lord Hanson's business dealings, and they found that Lord Hanson's partner, White, was running racehorses at shareholders' expense.[3] Lord Hanson had purchased 2.8% of the firm, but backed away from the takeover.[3]
The chief characteristic of a Hanson company was that of a short-term cash-generating machine, involving large scale redundancies, and the slashing of research and development to the bone - all the hallmarks of an asset stripping operation.[3]
Politics
Hanson was well known for his support of ex-
His billion-dollar empire earned Hanson the nickname "Lord
Personal life
Hanson dated Jean Simmons and Joan Collins and was engaged to Audrey Hepburn for almost a year, until she called off the marriage.[4]
In 1959 Hanson married Geraldine, née Kaelin, an American divorcée. He became stepfather to her daughter, and the couple had two sons of their own, Robert (born 1960) and Brook (1964–2014).[citation needed]
Death
Hanson died, aged 82, on 1 November 2004 after a long battle with cancer, at his home near Newbury, Berkshire.[7]
Arms
|
References
- ^ Profile - Robert Hanson: The happy family man steering Hanson empire into new territory in The Yorkshire Post dated 29 March 2011, Retrieved 11 May 2017
- ^ Lord Hanson Independent, 3 November 2004
- ^ a b c d Lord of the Raiders The Economist, 4 November 2004
- ^ a b c Corporate Giant and Thatcherite Lord Hanson Dies The Scotsman, 2 November 2004
- ^ "No. 47068". The London Gazette. 16 November 1976. p. 15415.
- ^ "No. 49408". The London Gazette. 6 July 1983. p. 8881.
- ^ a b c Business Giant Lord Hanson dies BBC News, 2 November 2004
- ^ a b Davies, Catriona (2 November 2004). "A charming ladies' man, but a ruthless operator". Daily Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ^ James Edward Hanson, Baron Hanson of Edgerton, Encyclopædia Britannica, Retrieved 4 April 2010
- ^ Debrett's Peerage. 2003. p. 728.
Bibliography
- ISBN 1857021894)