Overview

Sir Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet (23 April 1920 – 22 September 2018) was a British businessman best known for his long association with the family shipbuilding firm and for leadership roles in Scottish banking and professional institutions. Born in Surrey, England, he combined military service during the Second World War with a post‑war career in naval engineering, corporate management and public service. His life spanned nearly a century of change in British industry and reflected the close ties between shipbuilding expertise and civic responsibility.

Career in shipbuilding and industry

After serving in the armed forces during World War II, Sir Eric joined the family firm, Yarrow Shipbuilders, at a time when the British merchant and naval fleets were being rebuilt. Over the following decades he rose through the company, eventually becoming President of Yarrow plc. Under his stewardship the company continued a long tradition of designing and building small and specialist warships as well as naval engineering work that had made the Yarrow name prominent in the United Kingdom and internationally. His professional involvement extended beyond his firm to industry bodies and learned societies.

Positions, memberships and public service

Yarrow held a number of high‑profile roles in professional and charitable organisations. He served as Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights (1970–71) and was appointed a Vice‑President of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in 1972, reflecting his standing within the naval architecture community. He also took on civic duties, serving as a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) and being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), an acknowledgement of contributions to Scotland's scientific and industrial life.

Banking and wider leadership

Away from shipyards, Sir Eric held senior positions in finance. He was Chairman of Clydesdale Bank from 1985 to 1991, a role in which he oversaw aspects of banking management and the institution's relationship with Scottish industry. His simultaneous involvement in engineering, finance and professional bodies illustrates the interconnected nature of leadership roles in late‑20th‑century British commerce.

Honours and recognition

For his wartime service he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1946. He succeeded to the family baronetcy as the 3rd Baronet and carried titles and post‑nominal honours that signalled both hereditary and earned distinctions. Throughout his life he supported charitable causes and professional mentorship, and he was frequently called upon to represent industry organisations in public and private forums.

Legacy and death

Sir Eric Yarrow died on 22 September 2018 at the age of 98. He is remembered as a figure who bridged military service, industrial management and civic duty during a period of substantial change for British shipbuilding and finance. His career is often cited when discussing the modern evolution of family‑founded engineering firms into public companies and the role senior executives played in guiding that transition.

Notes: This article summarizes widely known aspects of Sir Eric Yarrow's life — his leadership at Yarrow Shipbuilders and Clydesdale Bank, professional offices, wartime honour (MBE), and civic roles — without attempting to catalogue every appointment or family detail. For specialized archival material or primary documents, consult institutional collections and contemporary records held by the organisations listed above.