View source for James Blyth, Baron Blyth of Rowington

{{Short description|British businessman (born 1940)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=February 2013}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=February 2013}}
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{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix   = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name               = The Lord Blyth of Rowington
| honorific_suffix   = [[Knight Bachelor|Kt]]
| image              =
| image_size         =
| caption            =
| order              =
| office             = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br>[[Lord Temporal]]
| term_start         = 24 July 1995
| term_end           = 1 January 2018<br>[[Life peerage]]
<!-- Personal -->
| birth_name         = James Blyth
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=y|8 May 1940}}
| birth_place        =
| death_date         =  <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_place        =
| citizenship        =
| nationality        = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| party              = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| spouse             = Pamela Anne Campbell-Dixon
| partner            =  <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married-->
| children           = 2
| education          =
| alma_mater         = {{hlist| [[Spier's School]] | [[University of Glasgow]] ([[Master of Arts (Scotland)|MA]]) }}
| occupation         =
| profession         =
| committees         =
| awards             = }}
'''James Blyth, Baron Blyth of Rowington''' (born 8 May 1940)<ref name=Birth>{{cite web|title=Birthday's today|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2013-5-8.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130508144021/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2013-5-8.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 8 May 2013 |publisher=The Telegraph|accessdate=29 April 2014|date=8 May 2013|quote=Lord Blyth of Rowington, company chairman, 73 }}</ref> is a British businessman.
== Early life ==
The son of Daniel Blyth and Jane Power Carlton, Blyth was educated at [[Spier's School]], [[Beith]], and the [[University of Glasgow]], where he graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] and a [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|Master of Arts]] in history in 1963.
== Career ==
Blyth worked for [[Mobil Oil]] from 1963 to 1969, for [[General Foods]] from 1969 to 1971 and for [[Mars, Incorporated|Mars Foods]] from 1971 to 1974.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Leigh|first1=David|last2=Evans|first2=Rob|date=8 June 2007|title=BAE files: James Blyth|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/08/bae16|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Between 1974 and 1977, he was general manager of [[Lucas Industries plc|Lucas Batteries]] and between 1977 and 1981 general manager of [[Lucas Aerospace]]. He was also director of the [[Imperial Group]] from 1984 to 1986, managing director of [[Plessey|Plessey Electronic Systems]] in 1985 and 1986, and managing director of the Plessey Company in 1986 and 1987. Blyth was a director of [[Cadbury-Schweppes]] between 1986 and 1990, of [[British Aerospace]] between 1990 and 1994,<ref name=":0" /> and of [[NatWest]] between 1998 and 2000.
In 1981, Blyth became head of defence sales for the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], a post he held until 1985, when he was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=50078 |date=29 March 1985 |page=4499}}</ref> From 1987 to 1996, he was a chairman of the [[London Business School]] (LBS), and to 1998 director and chief executive of [[The Boots Company]].<ref name=":0" /> On 24 July 1995, he was created a [[life peer]] as '''Baron Blyth of Rowington''', ''of [[Rowington]] in the County of [[Warwickshire]]''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54113 |date=27 July 1995 |page=10299}}</ref> He sat as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] in the [[House of Lords]] until his retirement on 1 January 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-blyth-of-rowington/3495|title=Lord Blyth of Rowington|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]]}}</ref>
Blyth received an Honorary [[Doctor of Law]] from the [[University of Nottingham]] in 1992. He is a Fellow of the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]], appointed in 1994, and a [[Fellow]] of the [[London Business School]], appointed in 1998.
He was chairman of [[Diageo]], parent company of the [[Popov (vodka)|Popov]] and [[Smirnoff]] brands of vodka, as well as [[Guinness]] malt beverages, until June 2008.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Walsh|first=Dominic|title=Business big shot: James Blyth|newspaper=[[The Times]]|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/business-big-shot-james-blyth-q6vgxhhdsc9|access-date=2020-11-23|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> He was succeeded by [[Franz Humer]]. In 2013, he was appointed to the board of Avoca Capital Holdings.<ref name=":1" />
== Personal life ==
Lord Blyth of Rowington has been married to Pamela Anne Campbell-Dixon since 1967; they have one daughter and one deceased son.
== Arms ==
{{Infobox COA wide
|image = [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|centre|150px]][[File:Blyth of Rowington Escutcheon.png|centre|200px]]
|crest = [Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Gules] out of an Eastern Crown Gules a Dexter Arm embowed in Armour the Hand gauntleted proper grasping by its blade a Sword pointing downwards all Argent and holding to the blade by its stalk leaved Vert a Double Rose Argent upon Gules barbed and seeded proper
|coronet = A [[Coronet|Coronet of a Baron]]
|escutcheon = Gyronny of twelve Gules and Argent a Horse rampant Sable langued Gules
|supporters = On either side a Unicorn reguardant Argent armed and unguled Or in the mouth a Double Rose Argent upon Gules barbed seeded and leaved proper
|motto = '''Quod Verum Tutum''' ''(What is safe is true)''
}}
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== References ==
*{{cite web| url= http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=81&biog=y&id=27059| title= DodOnline| publisher= | accessdate= 2006-11-24| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061207171716/http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=81&biog=y&id=27059| archive-date= 7 December 2006| url-status= dead}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Baron Hope of Craighead|The Lord Hope of Craighead]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom|Gentlemen]]'''<br />''Baron Blyth of Rowington'' '''}}
{{s-fol|after=[[Robert Winston|The Lord Winston]]}}
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[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers|Blyth of Rowington]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]]
[[Category:Academics of London Business School]]
[[Category:British businesspeople]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014]]
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