Sir Austin Ernest Bide (11 September 1915 – 11 May 2008) was a British chemist and industrialist.

Biography

Bide was born at 3 Blithfield Street,

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, on 11 September 1915, the son of Ernest Arthur Bide and his wife, Eliza, née Young. He was brought up by his mother after his father, a gardener who had become a lance bombardier in the Royal Garrison Artillery, was killed in France in October 1918. After attending

Acton County Grammar School Acton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Acton Australia * Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie * Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton Canad ...

, Bide joined the

Laboratory of the Government Chemist LGC Group, formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, is an international life sciences measurement and tools company. It provides the role and duties of the UK Government Chemist, a statutory role and adviser to the government. LGC al ...

at age 16, while also studying in the evenings for a chemistry degree. He was awarded a first in 1939. In 1940 he joined

Glaxo Laboratories GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...

and, as part of the war effort, worked on the synthesis of vitamin B1 and the development of penicillin. In 1944 he was appointed as department head, with responsibility for patents and chemical development, thus beginning his career in management. In 1951 he was entrusted with supervising the construction of a new factory at Montrose, Angus. Three years later he was back in London, first as deputy company secretary, then company secretary in 1959, and a director in 1963. He became deputy chairman in 1971. Bide was heavily involved when

Beecham Beecham is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Audrey Beecham (1915–1989), poet and niece of the conductor * Betty Humby Beecham (1908–1958), British pianist and wife of the conductor * Earl Beecham (born 1965), American foo ...

launched the biggest ever takeover bid for Glaxo. It was blocked by the

Monopolies Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competition regulator under t ...

in 1972 on the grounds that it would damage the UK's research into new drugs. Bide became chairman and chief executive of Glaxo in 1973, and immediately put in place a process of structural reform by rationalising Glaxo’s technical divisions. He retired in 1985 and, controversially, was named life president. Bide had been knighted in 1980. He then started a second career by becoming deputy chairman of BL, a large and largely failing car manufacturer. He was appointed by Sir

Michael Edwardes Sir Michael Owen Edwardes (11 October 1930 – 15 September 2019) was a British-South African business executive who held chairmanships at several companies including motor manufacturer British Leyland. Education Edwardes was born in Port Eli ...

, by whom he was greatly valued. Even so, he failed to get the whole or parts of the company sold.

Family

On 28 June 1941 he married Irene Ward (b. 22 September 1920), a milliner, and daughter of Ernest Auckland Ward, upholsterer; they had three daughters: Ann . Sir Austin Bide died on 11 May 2008 in

St Anthony's Hospital, North Cheam Spire St Anthony's Hospital is a private hospital in North Cheam, formerly in the county of Surrey, now in the London Borough of Sutton. The hospital is part of the Spire Healthcare group, the second largest provider of private healthcare in t ...

, of bronchopneumonia following a stroke; he was survived by his wife and their three daughters. Lady Irene died on 13 November 2013, aged 93. She was survived by her three daughters and six grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bide, Austin Ernest 1915 births 2008 deaths People educated at Acton County Grammar School Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London British chemists British industrialists Knights Bachelor 20th-century British businesspeople 20th-century industrialists 21st-century industrialists