He is best remembered for his contribution to the shipyard.
Appointed by Jim Prior as Chief Executive of Harland & Wolff when it was then losing 40m per year. He steered the yard through privatisation and its sale to Fred Olsen. By then in 1989 the yard was making a profit and still employing 2500 people.
Currently Chairman of the National Grid, his latest corporate success was the clinching of a 3.9bn deal to sell P&O, of which he was Chairman to Dubai Ports.