Industry and the City

Following Highgate School and a Short Service Commission in the Royal Navy, Sandy took up an apprenticeship in the Engineering Industry. He graduated with a Diploma in Management Studies and joined Honeywell later to become Director of Marketing for its UK and North European operations. A chance meeting with the Director of Recruitment took him to McKinsey.   

 

Working with Sir Alcon Copiarow, formerly Chief Scientific adviser at the Ministry of Technology, Sandy’s roles were to advise the Boards of International Groups on their longer-term growth strategies. His leadership qualities, resourcefulness, personal determination and commitment came to the attention of Sir Francis Tombs, Chairman of Rolls-Royce, who asked Sandy to join him on a  Committee of the National Economic Development Office. 

 

In the early 1970s he formed a joint venture with a Merchant Bank to act on behalf of City Investment Institutions who were demanding changes in the boardrooms of poorly performing companies to ensure that action would be taken to restore profitability. As he had been recognised as having the analytical skills and management expertise, he was asked to take on the Chairman’s role and to recruit new management teams in a number of such companies.

 

His successes made headlines in the National Press, for example: the Daily Telegraph wrote of Sandy, “An industrialist who has been involved in a string of turnrounds, and now known for his attempts to save a series of stricken companies.” The Birmingham Post said “Mr Sandy Saunders has led a splendid recovery at Brooke Tool Engineering. After more than doubling last year, profits are poised to go further ahead”. The Investors Chronicle reported “The name of Sandy Saunders is well known to those who have followed the fortunes of such companies as Francis Industries, Evered holdings, RCF, and Brooke Tool.” “He has made a specialty of restoring ailing businesses to health”, and the Estate Times described Sandy as the “ailing firms’ good Samaritan. A company Doctor with a very good bedside manner.”

 

He has also lectured in Business subjects for the University of Leicester, at a Symposium for International Academics at Balliol College Oxford, and to MBA students at the University for the Creative Arts.

 

He also served on the CBI Council, and was invited in by HM Government to join several trade missions to the Far East, to the USA, and to Central America. He was also Industrial Advisor to the former Industrial Unit at the Bank of England, to three of the Clearing Banks and to the  West Midlands Enterprise, and Yorkshire Enterprise Boards, and to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

 

In July 1985, Sandy was awarded the Freedom of the City. He was installed as Master of the Livery Company of Tinplate workers alias Wireworkers in 2007 and is now Vice-President of the Association of Past Masters who held office in Sir David Lewis’ year as Lord Mayor.