Geoffrey Robinson - Business Career

Business Career

A change of government led to a swift demise for "The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation", and in 1970 Robinson joined British Leyland, the company in the creation of which he had been instrumental. His initial job title was "Staff executive, facilities planning", but after four months he was promoted to the position of Financial Controller. It was an unusual appointment in a conservative industry, both on account of his relative youth and because he had no accountancy qualification. (His formal tertiary education had concentrated on Russian, German and, possibly of more direct relevance, Economics.)

Geoffrey Robinson was from 1972 Chairman of Innocenti in Italy, appointed following acquisition of the business by British Leyland, Robinson having played a leading role in acquisition negotiations following the death of Ferdinando Innocenti. Despite having been installed by the company's new overseas owners, Robinson quickly made his mark, as the rejection rate for UK originating components for the company's Mini-based car soared following his appointment.

From late in 1973 to 1975 he was Chairman of Jaguar Cars in succession to Lofty England, also at that time under British Leyland ownership. He resigned because he could not agree with the Ryder plan to integrate the many different makes under BLMC.

Following the Triumph Motorcycles workers locking out their new owners, NVT, from their Meriden plant in 1973, Robinson was instrumental in setting up the subsequent Meriden Triumph workers' co-operative with a substantial Wilson Labour government loan from the then- minister for trade, Tony Benn. He served as an executive director in what was the last volume manufacturer of motorcycles in the United Kingdom. He occupied a similar non-executive role in the subsequent Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd that the co-operative became when he helped negotiate away its debt with the new Conservative Thatcher government in 1981, although he left before the firm eventually closed in 1983.

In 1986 he founded technology company TransTec, which became a £200m international conglomerate focussing on aerospace customers. In 1996 he acquired the centre-left New Statesman magazine for £375,000. In April 2008 he sold 50% of the business to Mike Danson, and the remainder a year later.