William Weir, 3rd Viscount Weir
William Kenneth James Weir, 3rd Viscount Weir | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1933 Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate executive, nobleman |
| Years active | 1970–2001 |
| Known for | Chairman of British Bank of the Middle East; CEO of Weir Group |
William Kenneth James Weir, 3rd Viscount Weir FRSA HonFREng (born 9 November 1933) is a British nobleman and corporate executive. He has held prominent leadership roles including chairman of the British Bank of the Middle East and chief executive officer of the Weir Group.
Early life
As the firstborn of James Kenneth Weir, 2nd Viscount Weir, he spent his upbringing at Montgreenan House, located in Kilwinning, Ayrshire. His education was completed at Eton College followed by Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955.
Career
Weir’s professional experience includes serving on the boards of Great Northern Investment Trust from 1970 to 1980 and St James's Place Capital between 1972 and 1976. He led Weir Group PLC as chief executive from 1972 until 1981, later assuming the roles of vice-chairman and chairman from 1983 through 1999. His chairmanship extended to the British Bank of the Middle East during 1977–1979, Balfour Beatty in 1996, and CP Ships in 2001. Additional directorships encompassed Hambro Life from 1984 to 1986 and Canadian Pacific between 1989 and 2001.
Upon his father’s passing in 1975, he inherited the title Viscount Weir, which granted him a seat in the House of Lords. His achievements in engineering and business were acknowledged with his election as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1993 and as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1996.
Personal life
Weir entered into marriage three times: initially with Diana Lucy MacDougall in 1964, with whom he had two children; subsequently to Jacqueline Mary de Chollet in 1976; and finally to Marina Sevastopoulo in 1989, with whom he had one son. The family estate at Montgreenan was sold in 1982. By 2003, his residence was recorded as Rodinghead, Mauchline, Ayrshire.
Notes
- 1933 births
- Living people
- Nobility from North Ayrshire
- People educated at Eton College
- Scottish bankers
- Scottish chairpersons of corporations
- 20th-century Scottish businesspeople
- 21st-century Scottish businesspeople
- Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
- Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999
- Honorary Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering