Sir Christophor Charles Fraser Laidlaw (9 August 1922 – 27 November 2010) was a British businessman. A forthright individual, and a fluent German speaker, he oversaw the expansion of BP oil distribution, and retail, across western Europe in the 1960s, and helped to make the company into a more commercial outfit.

Early life

He was brought up in Cambridge attending

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

, then studied Modern Languages at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

Career

He worked for a textile company in Manchester for two years. He joined BP in 1948, going to Deutsche BP in 1959. He was a managing director within BP from 1972 to 1981. He was Chairman of BP Oil International from January 1977, becoming Deputy Chairman of BP itself from 1980 to 1981. He was not chosen to become chairman, possibly due to his uncompromising manner. He was Chairman of ICL from 1980 to March 1984; ICL had been formed in 1968.

Personal life

He was knighted in the

1982 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supp ...

. He married in 1952 in south-west

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. He was the father of Sam Laidlaw, the former chief executive of

Centrica Centrica plc is a British  multinational energy and services company with its headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the United Kingdom, and one of the largest suppliers ...

, and three daughters. He died on 27 November 2010, aged 88.

References

1922 births 2010 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge British businesspeople in the oil industry British technology chief executives Directors of BP International Computers Limited people People educated at Rugby School 20th-century British businesspeople {{UK-business-bio-1920s-stub