Joseph Lockwood

Sir Joseph Flawith Lockwood (14 November 1904 – 6 March 1991), was a British industrialist and businessman, whose initial reputation was as an executive of a flour milling company. Later, as chairman of EMI between 1954 and 1974, he oversaw the company's expansion in the music business, and the signing and marketing of acts including The Beatles. He was knighted in 1960.

Early life He was born in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, the second son of flour mill owner Joseph Agnew Lockwood and his wife, Mabel (née Caudwell). Through his father he was a distant cousin to the actress Margaret Lockwood and to Solicitor General Sir Frank Lockwood, their common ancestor being Joseph Lockwood (c. 1758 – 1837), a former Mayor of Doncaster, Yorkshire. Lockwood attended schools in Southwell, Lincoln and Newark, but left at the age of 16 without qualifications and described his education as "little more than rudimentary".

Flour milling and related activities He worked at the family mill before travelling to Chile at the age of 19, and becoming manager of a flour mill in Santiago, later moving to Concepción. He returned to England in about 1928, and began working for Ernest Simon in his family firm of mill builders, Henry Simon (later known as Simon Carves). Despite his lack of engineering qualifications he successfully supervised the rebuilding of a mill in Belgium, and moved up through the company's management until he was appointed to the board around 1934. He wrote the standard book on the subject of mill technology, Flour Milling, in 1945, and also researched and wrote on the subject of pelletised animal feed and its manufacture. He instigated a run-down of the gramophone and radio manufacturing side of the company, giving it a greater focus on industrial electronic equipment through a partnership with Thorn Electrical Industries. He also started to oversee substantial growth in EMI's involvement in the record industry, buying and developing the American Capitol company in the late 1950s, and appointing George Martin to take charge of the Parlophone label. By 1960, EMI's annual profits were some £5 million. Joseph Lockwood was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1960 New Year Honours list.