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Most memorable/fondest memory of Univ? Mimicking Sir John and Lady Redcliffe-Maude and singing a satirical version of 12 Days of Christmas to verses suggested by John Albery.
The most important thing I learnt? that there is a whole field of knowledge and learning out there that is far more interesting and important than studying Chemistry, and the idea of being a “Renaissance Man” is something I would modestly strive for all my life.
Percent satisfaction with Oxford? 70%. Gave me a lot of self-confidence and desire to succeed in something, and the 30% shortfall was probably more the result of both my immaturity at not grasping opportunities that Oxford had to offer right in front of me as well as the shortfall in the British educational system in being too narrowly specialized in reading just one subject (in my case Chemistry for 4 years).
Proudest achievement of my career? Co-founding two somewhat successful early-stage venture capital firms.
Adjective that best describes career? Adventurous.
% of potential achieved? 70%.
Most significant unfulfilled ambition? I would also like to write the script for a successful screenplay. Demonstrate conclusively that I can bring up under 100% custody to very successful manhood a young son as a single ageing dad.
Level of optimism about medium-term future of the world? I am very optimistic that the next 30 to 50 years will bring, thanks largely to technology's accelerating impact, an overall greater level of education, well-being and reduction in poverty worldwide, so long as we can avoid the destruction of our planet either through nuclear conflict or environmental disaster (both of which I am less optimistic about).
Professional Life: After attending Oxford University I worked for Shell Chemical in Manchester and London for about three years (they had given me a scholarship to go to Oxford). I then worked for a year as a tour guide taking Americans around London, England and the Continent while my wife, Rebecca, finished her degree at London University, before we both headed to Charlottesville, Virginia, USA where I studied for my MBA at the Darden school, University of Virginia. Following this was two years on Wall Street working for an investment banking firm during one of Wall Street’s most depressing eras, (No bonuses, reduced salaries and many folks fired) 1972-1974. Then, I joined Citicorp and worked for two joint venture affiliates of Citicorp, minority owned by Citicorp; first was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and then Sao Paulo, Brazil – about six years in total. After that I came back to the States to California and worked in San Francisco for Citicorp Venture Capital, investing in and working with entrepreneurial, early-stage, information technology companies – and some medical device companies. In 1983, three of us left Citicorp together and co-founded our own private venture capital partnership. Then, in 1996 I co-founded a second venture capital firm based in San Diego, doing the same kind of work, but this time in Southern California. I am still working and remain a general partner of this firm - Mission Ventures.
Personal Life: I married Rebecca, whom I had met at Oxford, when I was 23, and we were married in Lisbon, Portugal, since her father was a British diplomat, who had worked extensively in Portugal and had a house there. Although our marriage ended after four years, we remain good friends and my son and I visited her and her husband in Sydney, Australia about three years ago. In 1979 I married an African-American girl, Maxine, from New York City. We had one child, my daughter Vanessa, who is 31 years of age. We were divorced after four years. Maxine, however, some 15 years later, moved from New York to San Diego with her new husband, whom she had known before me. We all see each other socially from time to time and remain friends. Vanessa, my 31 year old daughter, who now lives as a chef near my ski cabin in Park City, Utah (having spent some 9 months as a chef this year at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at Claridge’s in London). I am very close to Vanessa and the above photo was taken recently here in San Diego. I have remained unmarried since Maxine, but have had some lady friends. I have a 10 year old son called Robert, from a previous relationship. I have an American au pair to help me raise my son. Robert is a blessing, and like my daughter, is the "apple-of-my-eye".
My life, outside of work, largely revolves around doing things with Robert. I used to do a lot of horse riding – horse trials and fox hunting (although here in California it is a Coyote we chase with no success – they are faster than the hounds!) I have stopped horse riding now, having sold my horses when Robert was born. Both Robert and I are keen skiers and since we have a cabin in Park City, Utah, we get to ski quite a good deal in the ski season. I try to play a little tennis and am restarting golf after some 45 years gap! I am very inconsistent at golf and still measure my progress by how few golf balls I lose on the local golf course! I would like to read more, and I travel a certain amount (usually one short trip, mostly business, to the U.K. every year) and will be off to Costa Rica for a week next April. I am a keen reader of the Economist, and on a regular basis I attend the Renaissance Weekends, which I find to be very stimulating and inspiring (they are run by a former U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James and his wife, Phil and Linda Lader – also Chairman of WPP) – see www.renaissanceweekend.org).
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Then...
...and now! With son and son’s au pair
My 31 year old daughter
My 10 year old son
The house where I live in San Diego
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