Sir Paul Judge began his career with Cadbury Schweppes rising to group deputy finance director by the age of 28, in 1978. Following an overseas role in Kenya, he became the managing director of the Cadbury Typhoo business. In 1986 Sir Paul led the management buyout of Cadbury Schweppes for £97 million creating Premier Brands. Premier Brands became a success and four years later was sold for £310 million.
From this successful venture, he donated £8million to his alma mater to fund a business, and the Judge Business School (JBS) at the University of Cambridge was born. Last year JBS became one of the top 5 business schools in the world. He has also been a supporter of the Pexim Foundation, which sponsors students from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia to attend Cambridge for postgraduate studies.
In 1992 Sir Paul’s business skills utilised by the Conservative Party becoming their director-general for three years and improved the party’s financial situation reducing its overdraft from £19 million pounds to around £2million. Sir Paul also sat on many advisory boards both educational and economical in a range of international institutions including Chairman of the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce from 2012.
He visited Serbia numerous times, as a student and later as BSCC Chairman. His visits supported many educational projects as well promoting closer business ties between the UK and Serbia, giving papers at prestigious conferences, for example, Eurosfera, as well bringing business people from the Guild of Entrepreneurs to visit Serbia.
His other activities saw him elected as Alderman of the City of London in 2007. He was a Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors as well as the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers and Court Assistant to the Company of Educators. He was also the Foundation Master of the Guild of Entrepreneurs, who visited Serbia in 2016. Sir Paul was the Aldermanic Sheriff of the City of London for 2013-14.
Apart from his City interests, Sir Paul was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Institute of Directors, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Marketing Society as well as a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Cambridge, City University and the University of Belgrade in Serbia.
Sir Paul was appointed Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996 for his public and political activities and in 2013 further honoured by her majesty when she named him a Brother of the Order of St John.
He passed away 21st May 2017 after a short illness and is survived by his widow Lady Barbara and two sons Christopher and Michael.
Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies go to his family.
