Clifford Welch, one of the founding directors of Lloyd’s of London Press, the former publisher of Lloyd’s List, has died at the age of 82.
Welch, the first managing director of the company, joined Lloyd’s in 1972 from IPC publishing group.
He took control of the Lloyd’s society’s publishing and intelligence interests at a time when years of industrial problems at the in-house printing department in Lime Street had threatened the newspaper’s existence.
The immediate future was secured by Paul Dixey, chairman of Lloyd’s in1973 and 1974, who persuaded the committee of Lloyd’s and the Lloyd’s market that the involvement in publishing should not be abandoned, and Mr Welch played a key role in establishing LLP in Colchester in 1973.
Welch played a key role in establishing LLP in its Colchester headquarters in 1973 and under his stewardship the company grew its turnover from an annual £1m to some £30m in 1991.
Welch retired from the role of deputy chairman of Lloyd’s of London Press in September 1991, but continued to chair the board of Lloyd’s Maritime Information Services, the company owned jointly at the time by Lloyd’s of London Press and Lloyd’s Register.
A formal dinner to mark his retirement was held at Lloyd’s in April 1992.
Welch, who was born in Gidea Park, Essex, in June 1925, was created a Commander of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the Design Council. He leaves his wife, Jill.
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