Sir Christopher Lewinton (6 January 1932 – 1 October 2023) was a British-American businessman.
Lewinton was born in Kentish Town, London, to Joseph and Elizabeth Lewinton.[1] During World War II, the family, including his sister Pamela, relocated to West London.[1] He attended Acton Technical College, focusing on maths and physics, and was a member of the Hayes Cricket Club.[1][2]
In 1957, he married Jennifer Alcock and had two sons before their divorce in 1973.[1][2] He later married Louise Head in 1979, becoming stepfather to her two children.[1][2]
Lewinton started his career at Graviner, an engineering firm in Buckinghamshire that specialized in fire protection equipment for aircraft.[1] While there, he pursued a Higher National Diploma in mechanical engineering.[1] Lewinton served as a lieutenant in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, with a posting in Egypt in 1953.[1]
Subsequent to his military service, Lewinton joined Wilkinson Sword.[1] He was tasked by Wilkinson Sword to oversee their disposable razor operation in the United States, leading to the establishment of a facility in New Jersey.[1] During this tenure, he worked with sports agent Mark McCormack, which led to Wilkinson sponsoring athletes such as Arnold Palmer and Bjorn Borg.[1] He also served on the advisory board of McCormack's firm, IMG, from 1975 to 1995.[1]
In 1970, Lewinton was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Wilkinson Sword Group. Under his leadership, the company expanded its turnover from £30 million to £600 million.[1] After Wilkinson's 1985 merger with Allegheny, Lewinton became TI's chief executive.[1][3] He was knighted in 1993 for contributions to engineering. After Smiths Industries acquired TI in 2000, he took retirement.[4][5][6] Later, he established CL Partners, managing various business initiatives, including a directorship at Camper and Nicholsons Marina Investments.[1]
