Profile - David Jordan, Philips Electronics

CIMA accountant David Jordan, 54, took over the reins as chairman and managing director of Philips Electronics UK on 15 October 1998, after over 30 years with the company.

He refutes any suggestion that working for the same employer for over three decades is boring, arguing that staying with Philips has allowed him to enjoy far more variety in his career than he could have found by regularly switching companies.

Jordan joined Philips straight out of university as a graduate engineering trainee, before moving on to become involved in development engineering and then production management. It was not until his thirties that he became interested in the financial side of the company and made the move that would eventually lead to his present position as finance director.

Seeing his prospects for quick promotion as a production manager limited, he persuaded Philips to let him work in its financial department.

By his late thirties, Jordan had passed his CIMA exams and went on to work in a range of different Philips businesses, including medical, defence, computing and electronic components. Before his appointment three years ago as FD, he was MD of Philips Medical Systems Radiotherapy. He said of his new role: ‘The main challenge will be trying to maintain profitability and market position in the turbulent world we currently face, especially for our exporting factories.’

Jordan is also a chartered engineer and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.