Who was Jim Jackson?

Jim Jackson was born in 1942 and grew up in disadvantaged circumstances in Birkenhead. When he was a teenager, both his parents died and he abandoned school before his A levels, despite being at a grammar school, with a promising academic ability. He drifted into a world of gangs and petty misdemeanour. A visionary teacher at his school spotted the signs and persuaded Unilever Port Sunlight to give him a job as a tea boy in the advertising department. There he was mentored by a concerned manager.

Jim developed his career with the support of mentors and became the youngest advertising manager in Unilever, progressing through the company until his late forties, by which time he was a general manager training young marketing managers around the world. He became their mentors as they, in turn, progressed through their careers.

In 1989 he co-founded his own successful marketing and distribution company with his wife, Jill Hill. Throughout the remainder of his career, he encouraged and mentored young people, urging them to move ahead, overcoming their lack of educational qualifications through personal development and hard work. He championed, in particular, people who did not have professional qualifications and promoted their ability. He believed in making a difference to these young people's lives.

Jim died in 2021 and in his memory, the foundation has been established to carry on his passion for advancing people who have had disadvantages but who have the obvious potential to succeed in a business career.