George Jefferson (engineer)
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Sir George Jefferson CBE | |
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| Born | George Rowland Jefferson Template:Birth date London, England |
| Died | 1 September 2012 (aged 91) Longford, Ireland |
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| Children | 3 |
Sir George Rowland Jefferson Template:Postnom (26 March 1921 – 1 September 2012) was a prominent British aeronautical engineer and corporate leader. He was appointed as the inaugural chairman of British Telecom (BT) and played a pivotal role in overseeing its privatisation in 1984.
Early life
Born in London in 1921,[1] Jefferson was the son of an electrical engineer.[1] He attended a grammar school located in north-west Kent, leaving formal education at sixteen.[1]
Commissioned as an officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), he later transferred to REME.[1] During the latter part of World War II, he contributed to government research focused on the development of automated anti-aircraft weaponry.
Career
In 1952, Jefferson assumed leadership of the guided weapon division at English Electric based in Hertfordshire.[1] Following English Electric's acquisition by BAC in 1960, and BAC's subsequent integration into British Aerospace in 1977, he advanced through roles including director, managing director, and chairman. As head of guided weapons at British Aerospace, he oversaw projects such as the Rapier anti-aircraft missile.[1]
Appointed deputy chairman of the Post Office (GPO), Jefferson became British Telecom’s first chairman and chief executive on 1 September 1980.[2] He was instrumental in guiding BT through its controversial privatisation process. Despite considerable opposition to this move, it marked the initial privatisation of a British utility and set a precedent for further privatisations throughout the 1980s. Jefferson retired from his role in 1987.[3]
Personal life
In 1943, he married Irene Brown, with whom he had three sons; she passed away in 1998.[1] The following year, he wed Bridget Anne Riley.[1] Jefferson was honoured with a CBE in the 1969 New Year Honours and received a knighthood in the 1981 New Year Honours. Later in life, he relocated to Perth, Western Australia, eventually residing in the Republic of Ireland.[1] He died aged 91 on 1 September 2012 at a care facility in Longford, due to heart failure compounded by complications related to Alzheimer's disease.[1]
See also
- Colin Baron, creator of the Rapier missile
References
External links
- Telegraph obituary September 2012
- 1921 births
- 2012 deaths
- 20th-century English business figures
- British Aircraft Corporation
- British Army personnel during World War II
- BT Group executives
- British chief executives
- London-based businesspeople
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Deaths from dementia in Ireland
- Deaths from congestive heart failure
- English expatriates in Australia
- English expatriates in Ireland
- Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society
- History of telecommunications in the United Kingdom
- Knights Bachelor
- Recipients of the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal
- Officers of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
- Officers of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers