Peter Bonfield

Last updated

Sir Peter Leahy Bonfield CBE FREng [1] (born 3 June 1944 [2] [3] ) is a business executive who has led a number of companies in the fields of electronics, computers and communications. Currently a director of several companies in the USA, Europe and the Far East, he was formerly chief executive of ICL and more recently of BT Group. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Marketing Society and the Royal Society of Arts. He is a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, Freeman of the City of London, Honorary Citizen of Dallas, Texas and Member of the Pilgrims of Great Britain.

Contents

Early life

The third son of an engineer and his Welsh wife, [4] Bonfield was brought up in Baldock in Hertfordshire [5] and educated at Hitchin Boys Grammar School. Bonfield graduated from Loughborough University with an engineering degree. [6]

Career

Peter Bonfield began his career with the American company Texas Instruments, in their Bedford (England) semiconductor plant, where he held various design, manufacturing and management roles. In 1984, on its takeover by Standard Telephones and Cables (STC plc), Bonfield was appointed chairman and managing director of International Computers Limited (ICL plc). He remained as chief executive of ICL until the end of 1995, seeing the company through a period when STC sold most of its stake in the company to Fujitsu.

In 1996 he was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of British Telecommunications plc, where he served until early 2002. Promising a "rollercoaster ride", during Bonfield's tenure the share price went from £4 to £15, and back again to £5. [6] Bonfield's salary to 31 March 2001, was a basic of £780,000 (increasing to £820,000) plus a £481,000 bonus and £50,000 of other benefits including pension. He also received a deferred bonus, payable in shares in three years' time, of £481,000, and additional bonuses of £3.3 million. [7]

Bonfield is presently Chairman of Dutch semiconductor firm NXP Semiconductors, Chair of Council and Senior Pro-Chancellor, Loughborough University, UK, a director of: L.M. Ericsson (Sweden), TSMC (Taiwan), [8] [9] Mentor Graphics (USA), a member of The Longreach Group Advisory Board (Japan), Senior Advisor Rothschild (London) and Board Mentor CMI (Brussels), chairman of the board East West Institute, UK, Chairman Small Business Charter, Director Global Logic Inc, USA, Member of Silent Circle Advisory Board, USA.

Previous positions include Director of Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, member of New Venture Partners Advisory Board, USA, Advisor Apax Partners LLP, London, Citi International Advisory Board (USA), director of Dubai International Capital (Dubai), a senior non-executive director of AstraZeneca Group PLC, London, directorships at BICC plc, DESC Ltd, mm02plc, The Department of Constitutional Affairs and The Ministry of Justice, member of the Trilateral Commission, member of the Civil Service College Advisory Board, member of the High Level Working Group of the European Information Society, member of the Steering Group of the European Round Table and member of the EU-Japan Business Dialogue Round Table.

Recognition

Bonfield was elected fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering UK in 1993. [10] He was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1988, and subsequently dubbed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996.

In 1995, he was awarded the Mountbatten Medal. In July 1997, he was awarded an Honorary Degree from the Open University and holds 11 Honorary Doctorates in total. In 2001 he was awarded the first Internet Villain Award at the third annual Internet Industry Awards. [11]

Other awards and honours include the Order of the Lion of Finland, the Gold Medal from The Institute of Management and Outstanding Executive from Texas Tech University (USA).

Related Research Articles

BT Group plc is a British multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-line, broadband and mobile services in the UK, and also provides subscription television and IT services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Computers Limited</span> British computer company (1968-2002)

International Computers Limited (ICL) was a British computer hardware, computer software and computer services company that operated from 1968 until 2002. It was formed through a merger of International Computers and Tabulators (ICT), English Electric Computers (EEC) and Elliott Automation in 1968. The company's most successful product line was the ICL 2900 Series range of mainframe computers.

Sir Peter John Davis is a British businessman, who was, from 2000 to 2004, the CEO of J Sainsbury plc, which operates the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Olver</span>

Sir Richard Lake Olver FREng was the chairman of BAE Systems, one of the world's largest defence contractors.

Sir Christopher Charles Gent HonFREng is a British businessman, He is the former chief executive officer of Vodafone, a British multinational mobile phone company. Until 2015, he served as the non-exec chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's fourth largest pharmaceutical company. According to the Financial Times 15th August 2022, he was fined £80,000 by the FCA for insider trading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Gardner (businessman)</span> British businessman

Sir Roy Alan Gardner is a British businessman. He is a former director of English football clubs Manchester United and Plymouth Argyle. While at Manchester United, he was involved in the sale of the club to American businessman Malcolm Glazer before resigning in protest at the sale. His time as chairman of Plymouth Argyle resulted in the club entering administration with debts of over £17 million and accusations of financial mismanagement.

Iain Cameron Conn is a British businessman. He was the chief executive (CEO) of Centrica from 2015 to 2019.

Sir John Rose is a British businessman who was the Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce from 1996 to 2011, when he became deputy chairman of Rothschild Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standard Telephones and Cables</span> British manufacturer of telecom equipment

Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd was a British manufacturer of telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications, and related equipment. During its history, STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies including pulse-code modulation (PCM) and optical fibres.

Sir Julian Michael Horn-Smith is a British businessman who is a member of the boards of a number of international corporations and an advisor to others. He was deputy chief executive of Vodafone until July 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Kaeser</span> German businessman

Joe Kaeser is a German manager who served as CEO of Siemens AG from 2013 to 2021.

Sir Philip Roy Hampton is a British businessman. He was the first chairman of UK Financial Investments Limited in 2008 and chairman of government-owned The Royal Bank of Scotland Group between 2009 and 2015. He has also chaired GlaxoSmithKline and J Sainsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Flint</span> British businessman (born 1953)

Miles Flint is the former President of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB since June 2004. Before this role, he was the President of European Marketing at Sony Europe. He was responsible for the marketing activities of Sony's electronics business in Europe. Miles was also the Managing Director of Sony United Kingdom Limited. It was the holding company that includes all of Sony’s electronics operations in the British Isles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Voser</span> Swiss businessman

Peter Robert Voser is a Swiss businessman, who is the chairman of the Swedish-Swiss company ABB. He was the CEO of the Dutch-British corporation Royal Dutch Shell from July 2009 to December 2013. He was interim CEO of ABB from April 2019 to February 2020. He started his career at Royal Dutch Shell in 1982, working in a number of finance and business roles in different countries. From 2002 to 2005 he was chief financial officer for ABB and Royal Dutch Shell. In 2004, he was appointed Royal Dutch Shell's chief financial officer (CFO) and then CEO in July 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NXP Semiconductors</span> Dutch semiconductor manufacturer

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXP) is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands. NXP Semiconductors is the third largest european semiconductor company by market capitalization as of 2024. The company employs approximately 34,000 people in more than 30 countries and it reported revenues of $13.3 billion in 2023.

William Samuel Hugh Laidlaw is the Executive Chairman of Neptune Energy, the independent E&P company. He is former chief executive officer of Centrica, the British natural gas and electricity company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Parker (businessman)</span> Businessman from the United Kingdom, born 1942

Sir Thomas John Parker is a British businessman. He is chairman of Laing O'Rourke and former chairman of Pennon Group, a director of Carnival Corporation & plc and lead non-executive director at the Cabinet Office. He has been a director or chairman of numerous other public companies including Airbus, Anglo American plc, Babcock International, British Gas, DP World, Lattice Group, National Grid plc and Ombu Group. He is a past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, patron at the Centre for Process Innovation and a Visiting Fellow of the University of Oxford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morris Chang</span> American businessman (born 1931)

Morris Chang is an American businessman and electrical engineer, originally from Ningbo, China. He built his business career first in the United States and then subsequently in Taiwan. He is the founder and former chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). He is regarded as the founder of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. As of April 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$3.4 billion.

Sir Peter Oliver Gershon, is a British businessman and former civil servant, former Chairman of Tate & Lyle, and since January 2012, Chairman of the FTSE 20 company National Grid. He is chiefly known for conducting the Gershon Review in 2004/2005 which recommended savings across the UK's public services and for being an adviser to the Conservative Party during the run up to the 2010 General Election. He has also been Chair of the Office of Government Commerce as well as sitting on the boards of several well known companies and organisations.

The ICL Fellows scheme celebrated the highest levels of pioneering achievement in the field of computing at International Computers Limited, a British IT company.

References

  1. ↑ "List of Fellows".
  2. ↑ Sir Peter Bonfield Home Page
  3. ↑ GRO Register of Births: JUN 1944 3a 1862 HITCHIN – Peter L. Bonfield, mmn = Talbot
  4. ↑ http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/412004/the-andrew-davidson-interview-sir-peter-bonfield-hes-doer-straightforward-straight-talking-results-texas-instruments-sorted-icl-now-failed-merger-profits-fall-bts-driven-ceo-trying-transform-former/ [ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Peter Bonfield interview in Management Today (2000)
  6. 1 2 BBC News | BUSINESS | Sir Peter Bonfield: A profile
  7. ↑ BT's Sir Peter Bonfield stands to gain extra £3.3m in share bonuses – Business News, Business – Independent.co.uk Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "TSMC hires Sir Peter Bonfield • The Register". The Register .
  9. ↑ NXP Semiconductors Appoints Sir Peter Bonfield as Chairman of Supervisory Board
  10. ↑ "Sir Peter Bonfield, Royal Academy of Engineering, 1993".
  11. ↑ "The Internet Industry Awards 2012". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.