Rupert Hambro
Rupert Hambro | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rupert Nicholas Hambro 27 June 1943 |
| Died | 19 February 2021 (aged 77) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1962–2021 |
| Known for | Chairman of Hambros Bank, J.O. Hambro Capital Management, Woburn Enterprises |
Rupert Nicholas Hambro CBE (27 June 1943 – 19 February 2021) was a distinguished British banker and entrepreneur.
Early life
Hambro was born on 27 June 1943, the son of Jocelyn Hambro, who chaired Hambros Bank between 1965 and 1972. His great-grandfather on his father's side, Carl Joachim Hambro, established Hambros Bank following his relocation from Denmark. He received his education at Eton College and pursued further studies at the University of Aix-en-Provence in France.
Career
His professional journey commenced at Peat Marwick Mitchell Co. (which later became KPMG) from 1962 until 1964, after which he joined the family enterprise, Hambros Bank, in 1964. He was appointed to the board in 1969 and remained until 1986, serving as chairman from 1983 to 1986. In 1986, together with his father and brothers, he launched J.O. Hambro Capital Management, an investment firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, he owned Hambro & Partners, a private equity company.
Hambro held the position of chairman at Woburn Enterprises, managing assets such as Woburn Safari Park, Woburn Abbey, golf courses, and hotels. His directorships extended to companies including Anglo American plc, Telegraph Group, Sedgwick Group, and White Pass and Yukon Corporation Ltd., which operates a railway in Canada.
Beginning in 2003, he chaired Cazenove & Loyd, a luxury travel business. From 2009 onward, he led Theo Fennell PLC and Sipsmith and was a member of the Supervisory Board at Bank Gutmann. Since 2010, he served as Chairman of Robinson Hambro, a corporate director recruitment agency. In 2013, he co-established Hambro Perks Ltd.
He contributed articles to The Spectator. According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020, his wealth was valued at approximately £151 million.
Hambro passed away on 19 February 2021 at age 77 following a prolonged illness.
Philanthropy
From 1991 to 2003, Hambro acted as Treasurer for the National Art Collections Fund and chaired the Museum of London Docklands between 1995 and 2008. He led The Silver Trust starting in 1988 and served as Vice Patron of the Royal British Society of Sculptors from 1997. His roles included membership on the Council of the Royal College of Art beginning in 2010 and holding an Honorary Fellowship at the University of Bath. Since 2011, he chaired the Development & Strategy Board of the Zoological Society of London and was a trustee for the Wallace Collection.
Between 2006 and onward, he was part of Open Europe's advisory board—a think tank focused on reforming the European Union. He was honored as a Knight of Iceland’s Order of the Falcon and received a CBE in the 2014 Birthday Honours for his charitable contributions.
Personal life
In 1970, Hambro married Mary Boyer (known as Robin), an American-born philanthropist and former London Editor for American Vogue who appears on the International Best Dressed List. The couple had two children: Jonathan and Flora.
He belonged to several prestigious clubs in London such as White's, the Groucho Club, The Walbrook Club, as well as Florida’s Jupiter Island Club.