Career
He was a director of Monsanto Europe (1964-1968), and a director and deputy chairman of J. Sainsbury plc (1968-1991). He was engaged by Margaret Thatcher in 1983 to produce a report on the management of the National Health Service (National Health Service) and went on to be deputy chairman of the National Health Service Management Board (1986-1989) and adviser to the government on the National Health Service (1986-1994). He recommended, "The Secretary of State should set up, within Department of Health and Social Security and the existing statutory framework, a Health Services Supervisory Board and a full-time National Health Service Management Board" and that general managers should be introduced throughout the National Health Service. In 1985, he was knighted for "services to the National Health Service".
He produced a report on Care in the Community in 1987.