27:
209:
Under stock market pressure to realise full value for shareholders (the mobile unit was being valued at the same amount as the whole Racal group), in
September 1988, the company was again renamed Racal Telecom, and on 26 October 1988, Racal Electronics floated 20% of the company. The flotation valued
205:
and the
Hambros Technology Trust owning 15% and 5% respectively. Vodafone was launched on 1 January 1985. Racal Strategic Radio was renamed Racal Telecommunications Group Limited in 1985. On 29 December 1986, Racal Electronics bought out the minority shareholders of Vodafone for £110 million.
230:
Whent was appointed a CBE and then knighted in the New Year's honours in 1995 for his services to mobile telecommunications. He retired in 1996, after which he undertook varying projects including helping to create a business park on the former site of the
221:
Under Whent, over the next few years
Vodafone grew to become the UK's market leader. During his service on the board as CEO, Whent turned Vodafone into a standalone mobile communications business, with a stock market capitalisation of around £8bn.
185:
to allow Racal to access some of GEC's tactical battlefield radio technology. Briefing Whent as the head of Racal's military radio division, Harrison told Whent to drive the company into commercial mobile radio. Whent also visited a factory run by
197:
In 1982, Racal's newly formed subsidiary Racal
Strategic Radio Ltd, with Whent as CEO, won one of two UK cellular telephone network licences; the other going to
497:
151:
Gerald Arthur Whent was the youngest of four children of Major Albert Whent, of the Royal
Artillery stationed in Palestine from 1938. Whent was educated at
238:
He was married twice. He had a son and daughter with his first wife Coris. He was a keen golf player and a huge fan of horse racing, Vodafone sponsoring
522:
487:
527:
127:
492:
306:
517:
436:
284:
91:
63:
335:
152:
110:
70:
48:
77:
263:
44:
468:
214:(£5,757,680,300 as of 2024). On 16 September 1991, Racal Telecom was demerged from Racal Electronics as
59:
502:
242:
from 1995 until 2005. He also ran Horris Vale Stud and then Raffin Stud with his second wife, Sarah.
182:
37:
211:
512:
507:
310:
8:
84:
440:
174:
421:
Wise, Deborah (16 September 1991). "Vodafone's solo debut could boost share price".
187:
361:
472:
232:
170:
178:
136:
481:
389:
Eadie, Alison (30 December 1986). "Racal pays £110 million to own
Vodafone".
339:
268:
177:, the UK's largest maker of military radio technology, agreed a deal with
239:
132:
391:
201:. The network, known as Racal-Vodafone, was 80% owned by Racal, with
26:
366:
215:
202:
198:
191:
164:
140:
465:
139:, Wiltshire) was the founder and first chief executive of
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
437:"Greenham Common Airbase Purchased for £7 Million"
479:
282:
498:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
257:
255:
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
410:. Guardian Newspapers. 27 October 1988.
299:
252:
480:
523:British people in Mandatory Palestine
488:British racehorse owners and breeders
388:
330:
328:
420:
307:"A Profile Of World Leader Vodafone"
261:
49:adding citations to reliable sources
20:
528:20th-century English businesspeople
283:Richard Wilson (19 February 2009).
13:
493:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods
325:
14:
539:
459:
309:. 2 November 2006. Archived from
518:British people in colonial India
225:
25:
285:"Obituary: Sir Ernest Harrison"
124:Sir Gerald Arthur "Gerry" Whent
36:needs additional citations for
429:
414:
399:
382:
354:
336:"Vodafone Group Public Ltd Co"
276:
153:St Mary's College, Southampton
1:
245:
146:
362:"The rapid rise of Vodafone"
7:
406:"Shares in Racal Telecom".
262:Cowe, Roger (29 May 2002).
10:
544:
162:
16:British business executive
194:, USA, in the same year.
158:
135:, India – 16 May 2002 in
183:General Electric Company
471:18 January 2019 at the
287:. electronicsweekly.com
425:. Guardian Newspapers.
210:Racal Telecom at £1.7
190:(unrelated to GEC) in
45:improve this article
313:on 2 September 2011
342:on 3 February 2019
264:"Sir Gerald Whent"
370:. 4 February 2000
175:Racal Electronics
131:(1 March 1927 in
121:
120:
113:
95:
535:
503:Knights Bachelor
453:
452:
450:
448:
439:. Archived from
433:
427:
426:
418:
412:
411:
403:
397:
396:
386:
380:
379:
377:
375:
358:
352:
351:
349:
347:
338:. Archived from
332:
323:
322:
320:
318:
303:
297:
296:
294:
292:
280:
274:
273:
259:
188:General Electric
130:
116:
109:
105:
102:
96:
94:
53:
29:
21:
543:
542:
538:
537:
536:
534:
533:
532:
478:
477:
473:Wayback Machine
462:
457:
456:
446:
444:
435:
434:
430:
419:
415:
405:
404:
400:
387:
383:
373:
371:
360:
359:
355:
345:
343:
334:
333:
326:
316:
314:
305:
304:
300:
290:
288:
281:
277:
260:
253:
248:
233:Greenham Common
228:
199:British Telecom
171:Ernest Harrison
167:
161:
149:
126:
117:
106:
100:
97:
54:
52:
42:
30:
17:
12:
11:
5:
541:
531:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
476:
475:
461:
460:External links
458:
455:
454:
443:on 8 June 2011
428:
413:
398:
381:
353:
324:
298:
275:
250:
249:
247:
244:
227:
224:
179:Lord Weinstock
173:, chairman of
163:Main article:
160:
157:
148:
145:
137:Chilton Foliat
119:
118:
33:
31:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
540:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
485:
483:
474:
470:
467:
464:
463:
442:
438:
432:
424:
417:
409:
402:
394:
393:
385:
369:
368:
363:
357:
341:
337:
331:
329:
312:
308:
302:
286:
279:
271:
270:
265:
258:
256:
251:
243:
241:
236:
234:
226:Personal life
223:
219:
217:
213:
207:
204:
200:
195:
193:
189:
184:
180:
176:
172:
166:
156:
154:
144:
142:
138:
134:
129:
125:
115:
112:
104:
93:
90:
86:
83:
79:
76:
72:
69:
65:
62: –
61:
60:"Gerry Whent"
57:
56:Find sources:
50:
46:
40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
445:. Retrieved
441:the original
431:
423:The Guardian
422:
416:
408:The Guardian
407:
401:
390:
384:
372:. Retrieved
365:
356:
344:. Retrieved
340:the original
315:. Retrieved
311:the original
301:
289:. Retrieved
278:
269:The Guardian
267:
237:
229:
220:
208:
196:
168:
150:
123:
122:
107:
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
513:2002 deaths
508:1927 births
466:Raffin Stud
482:Categories
447:26 January
246:References
235:air base.
147:Early life
133:Ferozepore
101:March 2010
71:newspapers
392:The Times
272:. London.
240:The Derby
169:In 1980,
469:Archived
367:BBC News
216:Vodafone
203:Millicom
192:Virginia
165:Vodafone
141:Vodafone
346:2 April
317:2 April
291:29 June
212:billion
181:of the
85:scholar
374:27 May
159:Career
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
92:JSTOR
78:books
449:2010
376:2010
348:2007
319:2007
293:2010
64:news
128:CBE
47:by
484::
364:.
327:^
266:.
254:^
218:.
155:.
143:.
451:.
395:.
378:.
350:.
321:.
295:.
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.