Rupert Christopher Soames, OBE (born 18 May 1959) is a British businessman, currently CEO of the Glasgow-based power equipment company Aggreko.
Soames was educated at Eton College,[1] and then the University of Oxford, during which time he worked as a disc jockey at the London nightclub Annabel's, as well as being elected to the Presidency of the Oxford Union. Upon graduation, he was offered a position at General Electric Company (GEC) by the managing director Arnold Weinstock. He remained at GEC for 15 years, working in the company's avionics and computing divisions, and became managing director of Avery Berkel, running the company's UK, India, Asia and Africa operations.[2]
After leaving GEC in 1997, Soames joined the software company Misys as chief executive of its Midas-Kapiti division. He was promoted to chief executive of the Banking and Securities Division in June 2000.[3]
Soames left Misys after a disagreement with Misys founder Kevin Lomax on the company's direction, and was appointed chief executive of power hire group Aggreko in June 2003,[4] replacing Philip Harrower who died when his car collided with a train in the United States.[5]
Soames was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[6]
Soames was born in Croydon and is a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, the son of Lord and Lady Soames, a nephew of the former Defence Secretary Duncan Sandys and Diana Churchill; the journalist Randolph Churchill and the actress and dancer Sarah Churchill and a great nephew of the founders of the Scout movement, Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell. His brother is the Conservative MP Nicholas Soames.
He married Camilla Dunne, daughter of Sir Thomas Dunne in 1988. They have three children: Arthur, Daisy and Jack.[1]