Tributes have today been paid to a long-serving JCB Director who has died after a short illness at the age of 78.
Tim Leadbeater passed away in hospital in Plymouth on Wednesday morning after being taken ill while on holiday.
Born at Longton Cottage Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent, Tim qualified as a solicitor and worked in practice for Wilkins and Thompson in Uttoxeter. He joined JCB in1975, the year Anthony Bamford took over as Chairman of the Company.
In his position as Group Commercial and Planning Director, Tim played an immensely important role in the development and growth of JCB. One of his greatest achievements came in 1978 when he worked with me as part of the team which set up JCB India, a company which has gone on to enjoy huge success and become a major part of the JCB Group.
Lord Bamford | JCB Chairman
“Tim’s loss will be felt keenly by my family and I, and also by many, many colleagues past and present, who have benefited from his wise counsel and enjoyed his enormous sense of fun.”
After officially retiring in 2006, Tim continued to work for JCB and remained a key advisor to the company. Tim leaves a devoted family, including his widow Kathryn and stepchildren Tom, Laura, and Olivia.