Arnold Weinstock

Arnold Weinstock, Baron Weinstock (29 July, 1924 – 23 July 2002) was an English businessman whom "The Guardian" newspaper called "Britain's premier post-second-world-war industrialist." [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4467542,00.html Guardian Unlimited | Archive Search ] ]

The son of working class Polish-Jewish immigrants, Weinstock is best known for building GEC, a major conglomerate, which at the time of his retirement had become one of the UK's largest companies. [ [http://physicsweb.org/articles/review/11/9/2/1 Weinstock: GEC's leading light - physicsworld.com ] ]

Weinstock took his degree at the London School of Economics (of which he was made an Honorary Fellow in 1985). His degree was in statistics, and he was later a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

He was a junior administrative officer in the Admiralty, 1944-47. In 1949, he married Netta Sobell, the daughter of industrialist, Sir Michael Sobell. In 1954 he joined his father-in law's electronics company, Radio & Allied Industries Ltd., and in 1963 orchestrated its merger with General Electric, becoming the largest shareholder of GEC. Weinstock served as a member of the Board of Directors 1961-1963, the Managing Director, 1963-1996, then Chairman Emeritus. He was a director of Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd from 1971 to 1973.

Apart from his career, he was Vice-President of the Friends of the Ravenna Festival, 1993-1994. He was a trustee of the British Museum, 1985-1996, and of the Royal Philharmonic Society, Foundation Fund, 1984-1992. He was also senior trustee of the Next Century Foundation, a peace process organisation he helped establish. He established the Weinstock Fund, a charitable foundation that supports a variety of benevolent and cultural causes.

It is notable that Weinstock largely held his counsel during the dismantling and subsequent near-collapse of GEC (later renamed Marconi plc) under his successors.

Thoroughbred horse racing

A member of the Jockey Club, Lord Weinstock owned a number of Thoroughbred racehorse including co-ownership with his father-in-law in Troy, winner of the 1979 Epsom Derby. He also owned Pilsudski, whose wins included the 1996 Grosser Preis von Baden and Breeders' Cup Turf plus the 1997 Japan Cup.

Lord Weinstock received many honours. He was knighted in 1970 and made a Life peer as Baron Weinstock, of Bowden in the County of Wiltshire in 1980. Other honours were:

* Honorary Fellow, Peterhouse, Cambridge, 1982.
* Honorary Bencher, Gray's Inn, 1982.
* Hon. DSc: Salford, 1975; Aston, 1976; Bath, 1978; Reading, 1978; Ulster, 1987.
* Hon. LLD: Leeds, 1978; Wales, 1985; Keele, 1997
* Hon. DTech Loughborough, 1981; DUniv Anglia Poly., 1994; Hon. DEconSc London, 1997.
* Commendatore, Ordine al Merito (Italy), 1991
* Officer, Legion of Honor (France), 1992.

References

*Who's Who 2001
*Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Britain 2001
* Alex Brummer, "Weinstock: The Life and Times of Britain's Premier Industrialist" (HarperCollinsBusiness, 1998).
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article800242.ece "Timesonline" article on the Weinstock Fund, charitable foundation]