It is with the very deepest sadness that I report the death of Peter Rowell on 18th May 2011 after a long and courageous struggle with leukaemia.
Many readers will know Peter as the Chairman of Regent (where I am a non-executive director) and from his presentations at the annual Regent Conference and, indeed, his many other speeches.
After graduating, Peter worked at British Olivetti before, in 1976, joining IDC UK as marketing director and then as MD. First the UK, then Europe and then in 1983 Peter was appointed worldwide President of IDC and to the board of parent IDG.
In 1987 he returned to the UK and founded Regent Associates which has gone on to become one of Europe’s leading advisors in tech M&A.
I often accused Peter of being a ‘frustrated analyst’. Indeed the accuracy of his pronouncements and forecasts for our sector prove what great insight he had. He has rightly often been voted as one of the most influential people in the UK and European technology industry.
But I will remember Peter above all as both a really good friend over many decades and as being one of that rare breed of men you can still describe as a ‘Gentleman’. He will be greatly missed.
Our thoughts are with his wife Jeanette, his son Simon and his family at this very sad time