David Nicolson

Early career

In the early 1950s Nicolson went to the United States, working as a production manager for Bucyrus-Erie Co. in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which had employed his father. He was appointed as a manager of Production-Engineering Ltd in 1953 and later became a director of the firm; from 1963 to 1968 he was chairman of the P-E Consulting Group, an associated company. In 1965 he was made deputy chairman of BTR Industries, and became company chairman between 1969 and 1984.

Approach to business

Never a strong believer in politics, Nicolson regretted excessive involvement by politicians in the management of nationalised industries, and also noted often that few managers of high technology companies in Britain had technical qualifications themselves. Unlike many company directors of the period, Nicolson was broadly supportive of trade unions. He sometimes told audiences during lectures that his hero was Napoleon. He was Chairman of the European Movement from 1985 to 1988 and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Surrey from 1987 to 1993.

Nicolson strongly supported the development of the European Communities and was pleased to be selected as a Conservative Party candidate for the European Parliament. He was elected and served as Member of the European Parliament for London Central from the 1979 election. However, dealing directly with European Commission processes left him increasingly disillusioned by the bureaucracy involved and he did not seek re-election when the term ended in 1984.