Adrian Cadbury (1929–2015,) fully George Adrian Hayhurst Cadbury, was a British businessman. He was the chairman of his family’s chocolate-making firm Cadbury and Cadbury Schweppes for 24 years and a British Olympic rower. He was also a leading authority on corporate governance.
Born in Birmingham, England, to a family known for its Quaker philosophy, Adrian was the grandson of George Cadbury, who founded Cadbury’s and the Bournville estate, a model village designed to improve the company’s workers’ living conditions. Adrian’s father, Laurence Cadbury, was also the proprietor of the News Chronicle. This British daily newspaper campaigned for peace and social reform.
Adrian Cadbury attended Eton, served national service in the Coldstream Guards, and studied economics at King’s College, Cambridge. A professional rower, he represented Britain in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, but his team came fourth.
Cadbury joined the Cadbury business in 1958, rotated through various departments, eventually becoming a director. He served as chairman of Cadbury Schweppes 1965–89, a director of the Bank of England 1970–94, and IBM 1975–94. He was also the chancellor of Aston University 1979–2004.
Cadbury was a pioneer in raising awareness and stimulating the debate on corporate governance. As chairman of a committee commissioned by the Bank of England, he produced the “Cadbury Report,” a set of best practice guidelines that served as a basis for corporate governance reform. His publications include Corporate Governance and Chairmanship (2002.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Adrian Cadbury
Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course.
—Adrian Cadbury
Topics: Decisions
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