John Leftwich: Former Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft

Do you remember the days when computers were huge beasts that took up whole floors of an office? Thanks to the efforts of John Leftwich, former corporate vice-president of Microsoft, almost everyone in Britain has access to a personal computer. Today he enjoys 'semi-retirement' at his beautiful home in Tenbury Wells. Words: Rachel Crow. Photographs: Stuart Purfield

By many people's standards John Leftwich's interpretation of semiretirement

is far from 'taking it easy'. As a Worcestershire Ambassador, Area Chairman of the Prince's Trust, nonexecutive director of two local software companies, Business Angel investor in small local companies, as well as a partner in a new luxury safari lodge in Namibia, the 54-yearold has plenty on his hands. But as a man who spent over 20 years working in the computer industry, serving in turn as marketing director for Apple in the UK, then Microsoft and finally in charge of a £9 billion business as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft, at which time he was amongst the most powerful business men in the world, he was accustomed to life in the - very - fast lane; so he could hardly just sit back with his feet up.

"In my last job at Microsoft I was responsible for business across Europe, Middle East and Africa," he says as we enjoy a brief spell of sunshine sitting in the patio area of his lovely garden that he and his wife, Tricia, have been gradually transforming at their home in Tenbury Wells. "When you're doing a job like that you don't have time to think about a lot else. I had no plan about my retirement but I thought: 'I have all of these business skills so I'd better put them to good use'." Now area chairman of the Prince's Trust, John put himself forward as a business mentor after he moved to the county in 2001 and speaks with obvious pride of the success stories.

"Emma was one of my early clients who we helped start a web design business, Basement 59, from Landsdowne Street in Worcester. She's now making a stack of money and quite happy from five years ago being unemployed and with debts over her ears. On a business side, 64 per cent are still going after three years which is really successful. These are youngsters that everyone else has given up on so you can't think of the 36 per cent as 'failures' because in the experience they have got a whole lot of life skills that they can use and their lives have moved on dramatically. For us it's hugely rewarding," he says. John also helps fledgling start-up businesses around the county through his role as a Business Angel along with other highly successful entrepreneurs including a former Chairman of Granada, a senior partner at KPMG and the Legal Counsel at BP Castrol. "It is drawing

on huge amounts of expertise and backgrounds. It's fantastic for small businesses in the county to potentially have access to such expertise and cash."

Previously based in Paris while working for Microsoft, John and Tricia chose Worcestershire to set up home when they returned to the UK to be close to family and friends. "We could have lived anywhere in the world but I'd always had a real soft spot for this area. I discovered it in my twenties and met Tricia in Ludlow and it was central to a number of friends and Tricia's family so we came here," explains John. Due to be awarded a fellowship of The University of Worcester in November, John has come to quickly appreciate the county's many qualities and a few years' ago was invited to join the Worcestershire Ambassadors. Drawn from senior positions in local commerce and the public sector, the Ambassadors share a common enthusiasm to promote all that is great about living and working in the county.

"It's a super organisation and a good force for the county making sure the council and businesses work in harmony," explains John. "It's a fantastic network and very active socially so you get to see a lot of things in the county that you wouldn't otherwise. For instance I went to see the Morgan factory and Droitwich Canal Restoration project and I discovered the Bevere Gallery in Worcester that way. It's nice to see the smaller things as well as the big successes."We have some major assets right on our doorstep; the Severn Valley Railway and West Midlands Safari Park are major attractions. I'm also a big Worcester Warriors fan," he smiles.

He and Tricia have recently finished renovations and decorations throughout to their beautiful, sprawling Georgian style country home, with stunning views over the surrounding countryside. Both keen gardeners they have created an almost Mediterranean feel to parts of the garden and he is keen to show last year's project: a lake complete with remote controlled waterfall built using salvaged pillars found on the land of Michael Brinton's stately home in Nottinghamshire. What started off as a plan for a modest pool soon grew in stature and it's evident that John never does anything by half. It's that same drive and determination to do everything the best that saw him excel in his working life.

"I never actually went for anything in my career except this vague plan of being marketing manager by time I was 30. The last time I applied for a job was when I was about 25 or 26. There's a lot of hard work in being successful and also a lot of luck," he says. Regarded as one of the founding fathers of the UK PC and internet boom, John joined the National Computing Centre in Manchester after university. "I worked on one their huge mainframes. It was about the size of a double-decker and took about half an hour to start in the morning," he laughs. "At the end of my time there, there was a guy who had this thing called a micro-computer and it looked to me like my mum's Singer

sewing machine. When you're a heavy metal mainframe guy these Singer sewing machines looked ridiculous!"

Deciding he wanted to take the marketing route, John gained experience in selling and advertising for a few years before he was invited to become publicity manager for Apricot Computers. "I am one of the rare people who made a career decision and it actually happened. I ended up marketing manager at 29 for this group with a turnover of £100 million and which was the market leader in PCs at the time." From there he was approached to join Apple where he worked for three years as marketing manager before walking out - two weeks later walking into the position as marketing director at Microsoft.

"My job was to make Microsoft Windows happen in UK and make

Microsoft Office happen and make the Internet happen. "When I was at Apple the mantra was 'one person, one computer', whereas Bill Gates said there should be 'a personal computer on every desk in every home'. So it was the

same philosophy just articulated differently. At Microsoft I could see they were moving to be the centre of the PC industry, which was something I loved and believed in. This was the Eighties and we were saying everyone will have a PC and it will change the way they live, work and play forever. When you are

working as hard as you have to in those situations, you have to have an element of fervour and belief in what you do otherwise you'd give up. It was crazy hours but hugely exciting.

"I am very privileged. Once in a generation you get to be at the centre of an industry that changes people's lives, whether it's broadcasting or motors and for my generation it was the PC and I was so lucky to have been part of that." John's hoping his two sons, Ed, 21, and Jack, 20, are equally successful in following their path in life. While Ed is studying accounting and finance at Liverpool University, Jack has headed off to South Africa for 12 months to train as a field guide. "They are both working hard and starting to achieve things. They are very different: one will take on the world financially but the other even when qualified will only earn £300 a week. But all you can do is nurture it and help them along," he says.

Jack has inherited his father's passion for safari and adventure travel. Following a trip to Namibia a few years' ago, John fell in love with the beautiful and expansive landscape and together with a business partner has built a luxury safari lodge in a remote corner of the country, which recently welcomed its first guests. As much as he would love to travel more and for he and Tricia to have more time to enjoy their narrow boat moored in Stourport, John's various commitments and Tricia's role as church warden keep them very busy. That said he's not complaining. "A lot of what I do is because I enjoy it. When you get into your Fifties and have learnt things it's time to start putting things back. It may sound a little altruistic, but it all makes the county a better place to live in."

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