John Anthony Swire

On 28 February 1927 Swire was born in London, England. Swire's father was John Kidston Swire.[2]

Sir John Anthony Swire was educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford.[1][3]

Swire served in the Irish Guards from 1945 to 1948, both in the UK and in Israel.[1]

Swire started his career at Butterfield & Swire, a subsidiary of the Swire Group in Hong Kong, in 1950.[1] He served on the Board of Directors of John Swire & Sons Ltd from 1955 to 1997, as its Chairman from 1966 to 1987, and Honorary President from 1987 to 1997.[1] He became its Life President in 1997.[1]

Swire served on the Boards of Directors of British Bank of the Middle East, Ocean Transport & Trading, James Finlay & Co, and Shell Transport & Trading Co.[1] He served on the London Advisory Committee of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1969 to 1989.[1]

He became a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1977.[3] He was an Honorary Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford in 1987 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Hong Kong in 1989.[3] He was knighted in the 1990 New Year Honours. He served on the Advisory Council of the Stanford Graduate School of Business from 1981 to 1990.[1] He then served as the Deputy pro-Chancellor of the University of Kent from 1993 to 1999.[1] He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.[1]

Swire died on 28 November 2016 at the age of 89.[4]