John Harvey-Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Harvey-Jones
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| Born | 16 April 1924 Hackney, London, England, UK |
| Died | 9 January 2008 (aged 83) Hereford, Herefordshire, England, UK |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1937–1956 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Cold War |
| Awards | MBE |
| Other work | Company director, television presenter, author and university chancellor |
Sir John Harvey-Jones was a famous English businessman. He was born on April 16, 1924, and passed away on January 9, 2008. He is best known for leading a big company called Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). He also became very popular for his BBC television show, Troubleshooter. On this show, he helped businesses that were having problems.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Henry Harvey-Jones was born in Hackney, London. He spent his early childhood in Dhar, India. His father worked there as a guardian and teacher for a young prince.
When John was six, he moved back to Britain. He went to a special school called a prep school in Deal, Kent. At just 13 years old, he joined the Dartmouth Royal Naval College. This was a school for future naval officers.
John Harvey-Jones started as a cadet at Dartmouth Royal Naval College in 1937. In 1940, when he was 16, he joined a ship called HMS Diomede.
He later served on two other ships, HMS Ithuriel and HMS Quentin. Both of these ships were sunk during battles. In 1942, Harvey-Jones joined the submarine service. He became a commander of a submarine when he was 24.
After World War II ended, Harvey-Jones went to the University of Cambridge. He learned Russian very quickly. He then joined Naval Intelligence as an interpreter. He worked on secret missions, gathering information about the Soviet Baltic Fleet.
In 1947, he married Mary Evelyn Bignell Atcheson. They had one daughter together. Harvey-Jones became a lieutenant-commander. He received an award called the MBE in 1952 for his important work in Naval Intelligence.
Business Career
Leading Imperial Chemical Industries
In 1956, John Harvey-Jones left the Royal Navy. He wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his daughter who was unwell. He then joined a large company called Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) as a junior training manager.
By 1973, when he was 49, he became a director on the main board of ICI. In April 1982, he became the chairman of the entire company. He was only the second person who wasn't a chemist to reach this top position.
Harvey-Jones believed in making quick decisions. He thought it was better to move fast and adjust later. He cut parts of the business that were not making money. He also gave more power to fewer people. This helped to make decisions faster and motivate staff.
After only 30 months as chairman, he had made ICI very successful. He cut the number of workers in the UK by one-third. He also doubled the price of ICI shares. ICI became the first British company to make a profit of over £1 billion.
Becoming a TV Star
John Harvey-Jones became very famous because of the BBC show Troubleshooter. The show first aired in 1990. It ran for five series and had several special episodes in the 1990s.
On the show, he visited different businesses that were struggling. He gave them advice on how to improve. His advice was sometimes surprising. For example, he was critical of the Morgan Motor Company. However, Morgan ignored his advice and is still doing well today. The show also won him a BAFTA award.
Other Important Roles
In 1989, he became the chairman of The Economist magazine. He also served on the board of other companies, like Grand Metropolitan plc. He was an honorary vice-president of the Institute of Marketing.
From 1986 to 1991, Harvey-Jones was the Chancellor of the University of Bradford. This is a very important role in a university. There is a painting of him at the University of Bradford. He also posed for sculptors Jon Edgar and Steven Whyte.
He was also the chairman of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. He was a member of the Advisory Council of the Prince's Trust. In 2001, he became the president of the MS Trust.
Personal Life
John Harvey-Jones was known for practicing Transcendental Meditation. He said it helped him stay calm during difficult times.
He lived near Ross-on-Wye after he retired. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 83. He had been ill for a long time.
Awards and Recognition
- In 1952, he received a military MBE for his work in Naval Intelligence.
- In 1985, other company leaders voted him Britain's most impressive industrialist.
- He was made a knight in 1985 for his contributions to industry. This means he was called "Sir John."
- He was named "Industrialist of the Year" in 1986, 1987, and 1988.
- In 1992, he received the title "Motivator of the Year."
- In 1992, he won a BAFTA award for his Troubleshooter TV series.
