Ernest Harrison
| Sir Ernest Harrison OBE | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ernest Thomas Harrison 11 May 1926 Hackney, east London, England |
| Died | 16 February 2009 (aged 82) Surrey, England |
| Occupation | Chairman, Racal |
Sir Ernest Thomas Harrison OBE (11 May 1926 – 16 February 2009), was an English businessman, best known as Chief Executive of Racal, and chairman of both Racal and the first chairman of its spun-out mobile division, Vodafone.
Born in the Salvation Army Hospital in Hackney, a suburb of London, his father was a docker under the Casual Labour Scheme, while his mother was a seamstress making ties in an East End garment factory. The family moved to Holloway, where he was educated at Trinity Grammar School, Wood Green, and he gained a lifelong love of Arsenal F.C..
Evacuated at the start of World War II, in 1944 he joined the Fleet Air Arm in Canada, to perform his National Service. On release, he trained as an accountant with Harker Holloway, qualifying in 1950. Wanting to get into industry he was turned down by Smiths Industries in Cricklewood, London After a brief spell at George Touche, he became the 13th employee of newly formed Racal.
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