1960s Archives - Page 10 of 10

David Butler

David Butler worked in the public sector first as an accountant then as a programmer and systems analyst. He moved into consultancy with Urwick Diebold and then decided to set up on his own with George Cox and they formed Butler Cox. Butler Cox was sold to Computer Science Corporation for £22 million. David took on a portfolio of jobs after Butler Cox, has written two science fiction books and engaged in local politics.

27 July 2017

Dame Stephanie Shirley

Dame Steve Shirley founded the software house F International initially only using women workers who worked from home. It was in 1962 and she had hit the glass ceiling again in her employment. She had £6 of capital. She was good at finding people who could become high achievers. Having been saved when a million children died in the holocaust she decided to make hers a life worth saving and likes to feel that she has made a difference. Her work gives purpose to her existence.

27 July 2017

Sir Peter Bonfield

Sir Peter Bonfield worked in the electronics component, computing and telecommunications sides of IT. He was invited in 1981 to become operations manager of ICL, the state-owned computer company rapidly running out of cash designing a new range of mainframes. In 1984 ICL was taken over by STC and Sir Peter became MD. In 1996 Sir Peter moved to BT and helped to lead it through a transformation from a utility company into a growth company

14 July 2017

John Pearce

John Pearce created the backbone of methods used by the successful Hoskyns Systems and became a key mover in the mid-1970s National Enterprise Board (NEB). He started in the IT sector by helping Joseph Lucas install its first computer and develop applications for it. He trained himself as a systems analyst before joining IBM in 1960 to help IBM introduce new concepts to existing customers

14 July 2017

John Leighfield CBE

John Leighfield CBE was a pioneering IT user, applying the technology offered by vendors to the benefit of users, particularly in manufacturing. He started in IT with Ford in Dagenham in what would now be called systems analysis. He joined Plessey in 1965 and was on the board of Plessey as the head of IT. John moved to British Leyland in 1972, working in BL Systems, later renamed as ISTEL. It was privatised and John and others succeeded in a management buyout.

14 July 2017

Geoff Unwin

Geoff Unwin helped build CapGemini into a world-leading computer services company after running Hoskyns, who he was recruited by in 1968 to work on problems for customers using time sharing computers. He turned CapGemini into an integrated global consultancy. Geoff pioneered the use of Indian programmers to develop systems off shore.

14 July 2017

Christopher Curry

Chris Curry was a central figure in the Cambridge phenomena which was Sinclair, Acorn and ARM. He started on the production line at PYE, worked for the Royal Radar Establishment and eventually arrived at Sinclair Radionics in 1966. He then helped set up Acorn Computers with its first product the Atom. Acorn was approached by the BBC and devised the BBC Micro, launched in 1980 it sold 3 million.

14 July 2017

Bryan Mills

Bryan Mills co-founded CMG in 1964 and led it to become a successful data processing company and software development company. It developed the first packaged software in the UK: to help accountants collect data on the clients they were working for. Bryan designed it. Bryan worked in Burroughs for eight years before CMG. The key idea behind CMG was that you did not have to own a computer, just rent computer time off other users.

14 July 2017

Roger Graham OBE

Roger Graham OBE helped to develop 3,000 IT jobs and £500 million of shareholder value in his IT career. He helped develop and sell one of the most important software packages for modern banking: MIDAS. He started work in the IT industry in IBM rising to be account manager for Ford UK. He left IBM after four-and-a-half years to join BIS, then a small software start up. MIDAS handled currency transactions when they were deregulated and also gold transactions. He left BIS in the early 1990s and has acted as a non-executive advisor to over 24 companies in 22 years.

14 July 2017

Latest - Decades: 1960s

David Butler

Dame Stephanie Shirley

Sir Peter Bonfield

John Pearce

John Leighfield CBE

Geoff Unwin

Christopher Curry

Bryan Mills

Roger Graham OBE