The Worshipful Company of Engineers The Swordsman Newsletter ...

The Swordsman Issue 29
Bob Diamond, who recently resigned, except to
suggest we should keep a sense of proportion, so my
third quote is from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Marc
Anthony said “The evil that men do lives after them.
The good that men do is oft interred with their bones”.
The Master and Sir Alan Rudge at the start of Dinner
We need to bear in mind that over the last couple of
decades when the likes of Sir Anthony Bamford of
JCB, Sir Richard Evans and Mike Turner of BAe
Systems and Sir John Rose former CEO of Rolls
Royce turned our leading UK manufacturing
companies into world leaders, a number of recently
deposed senior bankers presided over an
unprecedented expansion and success in the financial
services industry to make the UK and London also preeminent
in the world.
I do not condone nor try to excuse wrong behaviour,
but one thing is certain: even the strongest institutions
are at risk if their foundations are continuously
undermined by the outrageous party political point
scoring we have experience in recent days. The other
world financial centres must be rubbing their hands
with glee!
I would now like to introduce my guest speaker for
tonight. I use the “guest” advisedly as Sir Alan Rudge
is in fact one of our Liverymen but as this is the first
function that he has attended since his clothing in
1998, I think the paint is still insufficiently dry to
welcome him as a guest, my most welcome guest.
I first met Sir Alan about five years ago at the Annual
ERA Foundation Lunch of which he is Chairman. His
clarion call nationally for the need to recognise the
importance of manufacturing industry and to nurture it
has been long, loud and clear. Rather than accepting
the politicians’ easy rhetoric of the UK being a “post
industrial” nation, Alan has emphasised the critical
role that manufacturing industry has, and will continue
to have in the wellbeing of the UK economy, only 10%
22
of GDP but 50% of all exports. I look forward to
hearing you share your expert opinion with us shortly.
Sir Alan Rudge has served on 23 Boards - from start
ups to FTSE 100 companies. He is the Senior
Independent Director on the Board of Experian Group
Limited and Chairman of the Board of Management of
the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Sir
Alan is a former Chairman of the EPSRC, a past
President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and
a former Chairman of the Engineering Council. He is a
sailing fanatic having just competed in The JP Morgan
Round the Island race on 30 June 2012.He is married
to Lady Jenny, has one son and one daughter and three
grandchildren.
The Master, David Scahill with Gillian and Sir Alan
and Lady Rudge
Sir Alan, we look forward to hearing your response on
behalf of the guests. But first, can I ask members of the
Worshipful Company of Engineers to rise and drink a
toast to our guests. “Our Guests”
Speech by Sir Alan Rudge
David asked me to speak this evening, because of our
shared concern on the decline of manufacturing
industry in the UK and its impact on the economy.
David is a very experienced industrial manager and he
knows better that most when things are not right in the
industrial sector.
A sector he once roamed, and partially ruled – not with
a rod of iron – but with some inspired team leadership.
(I learned from an ex team member that he was a great
leader, but first thing Monday morning could be
something of a trial.)
The bulk of David’s industrial experience was gained
in GEC where his boss for many years was Arnold
Weinstock. This provides some insight into David’s