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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, a former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club and a former Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.

He was a Conservative member of the House of Lords from 1996 until his retirement in 2017.

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. MacLaurin was President of the Marylebone Cricket Club from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018.

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 was also the long-term 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.

MacLaurin is chairman of Paperless Receipts Ltd, a company that works with retailers including Argos, Monsoon Accessorize and Booths.

MacLaurin is honorary life president of Hope for Tomorrow, a UK cancer charity.

Honours

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) 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. He served as a deputy lieutenant of the County of Hertfordshire from 1992 to 2001 and for Wiltshire from 2002 to 2012. This gives him the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life. He was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2005.

References

1. Ryle, Sarah (28 March 2013). The Making of Tesco: A Story of British Shopping. Random House. ISBN 9781448127474. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
2. "Store wars 10 ways Tesco took the lead". The Guardian. 20 October 2004. p. 19.
3. "Lord MacLaurin". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
4. "Lord MacLaurin set to assume office as MCC President". Lord's. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
5. "The Enterprise Forum". Archived from the original on 25 January 2014.
6. "Patrons & Honorary Life President". Hope for Tomorrow. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
7. "No. 51720". The London Gazette. 2 May 1989. p. 5227.
8. "No. 54560". The London Gazette. 24 October 1996. p. 14113.
9. "Experience for Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth - MPS and Lords - UK Parliament".
10. "MCC Honorary Life Members". The Marylebone Cricket Club. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
11. Debrett's Peerage. 2015. p. 801.

External links

• TheyWorkForYou.com: keeping tabs on the UK's parliaments and assemblies: Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth

• 1937 births
• Chancellors of the University of Hertfordshire
• English businesspeople
• Conservative Party (UK) life peers
• People educated at Malvern College
• British businesspeople in retailing
• Living people
• Chairmen of Tesco
• Chairmen of Vodafone
• Deputy lieutenants of Wiltshire
• Deputy lieutenants of Hertfordshire
• English cricketers
• Hertfordshire cricketers
• Knights Bachelor
• British chief executives
• British chairpersons of corporations
• People from Blackheath, London
• People from Knebworth
• Presidents of the Marylebone Cricket Club
• Life peers created by Elizabeth II
• Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014