Mike Blackburn (businessman)
Jeffrey Michael Blackburn | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1941 Manchester, England |
| Died | 2023 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, business executive |
| Years active | 1960s–2000s |
| Known for | CEO of Leeds Permanent Building Society (1987–1993), CEO of Halifax Building Society (1993–1999) |
Jeffrey Michael Blackburn (1941–2023) was a prominent British banker who held the position of CEO at the Leeds Permanent Building Society between 1987 and 1993, followed by leading the Halifax Building Society from 1993 until 1999.[1][2]
Early life and education
Born in Manchester, Blackburn was the firstborn of Renée and Jeffrey Blackburn, who worked as a local government official.[3][4] During World War II, his family resided near Preston, Lancashire while his father served in the Royal Navy, escorting convoys bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.[3] Eventually, the family moved to Ipswich, where Blackburn attended Northgate Grammar School.[3] After disappointing A-level results, he initially took on jobs as a hospital porter and a bus conductor.[3][4]
He later pursued executive education at Henley Management College.[5]
Career
Blackburn started his career with Lloyds Bank, progressing to become branch manager in St Albans by age 30, and subsequently advancing to divisional manager.[3][4]
In 1987, he was appointed CEO of Leeds Permanent Building Society, where he managed branch closures alongside charitable projects.[3]
He took on the role of CEO at Halifax Building Society in 1993,[6][7] during which time he handled legal challenges involving both the UK government and the European Court of Justice.[3]
Blackburn stepped down from Halifax in 1999, with James Crosby succeeding him.[3][8] Following this, he served on the boards of various companies including DFS Furniture.[9][10] In 2000, Blackburn assumed the non-executive chairman position at Watson Wyatt Systems and also joined ID Data.[11][12][13] He later became non-executive chairman of DEBT Free Direct in 2005.[14]
In addition to his corporate roles, Blackburn was dedicated to philanthropy, particularly through involvement with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, for which he received a CVO honour in 2009.[3]
Personal life
Blackburn entered into matrimony on two occasions. His initial union with Jill Firth in 1963 resulted in the birth of two children. Later, in 1987, he wed Louise Jouny, and together they had two sons.
References
- ↑ "Halifax chief doubles his money in first year on the market". The Independent. 21 March 1998.
- ↑ Merrell, Caroline (18 November 2023). "Sleepy building society bought into the big league" – via thetimes.co.uk.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedauto - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedauto1 - ↑ "Henley Management College". 18 November 2023 – via thetimes.co.uk.
- ↑ "Blackburn named as Halifax's new chief". The Independent. 23 February 1993.
- ↑ "Leeds to Halifax: a quantum leap into the hottest of seats: Robert". The Independent. 1 March 1993.
- ↑ Brummer, Alex (2 November 1999). "Mindless reaction when bank heads roll". The Guardian.
- ↑ Mail, Ben Laurance (13 April 2012). "Directors weigh up Kirkham's DFS bid". Evening Standard.
- ↑ Verjee, Neelam (18 November 2023). "DFS shareholders shrug off threat of boardroom clearout" – via thetimes.co.uk.
- ↑ Brewis|janine_brewis, Janine. "Ex-Halifax chief joins Watson Wyatt Systems". fnlondon.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Former Halifax chief joins ID Data for AIM float". The Independent. 17 September 2000.
- ↑ "ID Data puts its smart money on Aim". The Telegraph. 18 September 2000.
- ↑ Walters, Sarah (22 August 2005). "Blackburn joins". Manchester Evening News.