Quick Facts
Biography
Ian Charter MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth DL FRSA (born 30 March 1937) is a British businessman who has been chairman of Vodafone and chairman and chief executive of Tesco. He is a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board and a former Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.
He sits as a Conservative member of the House of Lords.
Early life
Ian MacLaurin was born in 1937 in Blackheath, Kent. He attended Shrewsbury House School and Malvern College.
Career
Tesco
MacLaurin joined Tesco in 1959 as a management trainee, then held a number of more senior appointments in its retail operations before being appointed to its Board in 1970. He was appointed managing director in the 1970s and became chairman in 1985.
By the time of his retirement in 1997 Tesco had overtaken Sainsbury's to become the largest UK retailer. MacLaurin led Tesco away from the "pile it high, sell it cheap" business philosophy of founder Jack Cohen. He has claimed his most important act was appointing the right successor, Terry Leahy.
Vodafone
MacLaurin joined Vodafone as a non-executive director in 1997, becoming chairman in July 1998. He stepped down on the merger with AirTouch Communications Inc in 1999, resuming his role a year later.
Upon his retirement from the board in July 2006, he became an adviser to the company. He was succeeded as chairman by Sir John Bond. He also became chairman of the Vodafone Group Foundation, an independent charitable trust set up to administer charitable and other donations on behalf of the company.
Cricket
MacLaurin has always been enthusiastic towards sports. At Malvern College, he played in the First XI. In his 20s, he played Minor Counties cricket for Hertfordshire. From 1997 until 2002 he was the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board and is now Chairman of the Sport Honours Committee.
His son Neil MacLaurin has played first-class and List A cricket for Middlesex, as well as Minor Counties and List A cricket for Hertfordshire.
Other
MacLaurin is a supervisory board member of Heineken International.
MacLaurin has been a Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire. He is currently the chairman of the college council of Malvern College.
He is the president of The Enterprise Forum, a not-for-profit organisation that organises meetings between business and the Coalition government.
Lord Maclaurin is also chairman of Paperless Receipts Ltd, a company whose system (eReceipts) powers the digital receipts and customer engagement programmes for retailers such as Argos, Monsoon Accesoirze and northern UK supermarket Booths.
Honours and styles
Honours
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1986. He was knighted in 1989, and raised to the peerage for life in 1996 taking the title Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, of Knebworth in the County of Hertfordshire.
Styles of address
- 1937–1986: Mr Ian MacLaurin
- 1986–1989: Mr Ian MacLaurin FRSA
- 1989–1996: Sir Ian MacLaurin FRSA
- 1996–: The Rt Hon. The Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth FRSA