My father, John Gardiner, who has died aged 87, was a financial journalist and businessman who forged a remarkable career in British industry over 40 years, culminating in his role as chairman of Tesco (1997-2004).
In 1970, aged just 34 and with no experience of running a business, he became chief executive of the engineering company Cammell Laird, then on the brink of bankruptcy, and transformed what became the Laird Group into a profitable business. Early recognition for the remarkable turnaround came in 1981, when he was made Guardian Young Businessman of the Year.
