N.Rock rescue task falls to troubleshooter Sandler

Ron Sandler rescued the London insurance market from the brink of collapse to forge a reputation as a trouble-shooter, but faces an altogether tougher task to revive Northern Rock and save government credibility.

Sandler was named last month as the government's choice to lead Northern Rock if it was nationalized, and the government confirmed on Sunday it was putting the bank into temporary public ownership.

Nationalization was chosen after the last two suitors to rescue the bank failed to meet terms set out by the government at the same time as putting in place a commercial solution.

That gives Sandler, 55, his biggest challenge yet. But it also shows the scale of the task ahead.

It will also be conducted in the eye of the media after fierce criticism of the government's handling of the Northern Rock crisis since it erupted six months ago.

Sandler carries a German passport and spent his childhood in Zimbabwe before moving to England.

He will visit the bank's hometown of Newcastle in northeast England on Monday to meet some of its 6,000 staff and lay out his plans to stabilize business.

Other immediate tasks will include restoring a brand hit by six months of bad publicity; rebuilding support from financial markets, advisers and the local community; and developing a long-term plan - notably how far to shrink its mortgage book.

At a press conference on Sunday he sidestepped questions about potential job cuts and strategy, saying he will make and announce relevant decisions in due course.

Sandler stressed he will be in charge. He will have autonomy over all operating decisions, despite the government's keen interest in a successful turnaround of the bank.

TREASURY LINKS

Sandler has links with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Treasury, dating back to a high profile and wide-ranging review of the savings industry undertaken when Brown was finance minister. The Sandler Report was published in 2002.

Sandler's name had already been established, notably as chief executive of Lloyd's of London insurance market from 1995 to 1999 when he rescued the world's oldest insurance market after it faced huge asbestos claims.

His boss there, David Rowland, took Sandler with him when he was parachuted into NatWest bank in 1999 at the heart of a fierce takeover battle.

As chief operating officer Sandler was unable to prevent a takeover by Royal Bank of Scotland, but he and Rowland won praise for their defence.

Although the battle for NatWest was acrimonious, Sandler has reminisced that his six months at NatWest were "thrilling" and he emerged happy with the outcome for NatWest shareholders.

A keen fisherman, golfer and poker player, he is executive chairman of Computacenter and chairman at pensions firm Paternoster and at Kyte Group, a derivatives trading business.

He is also a director at Belgian-Dutch bank Fortis, which alongside RBS was part of the consortium that bought ABN AMRO last year in the world's biggest bank takeover.

Educated at Cambridge and Stanford, Sandler started his career in management consulting with the Boston Consulting Group, in London and California.

He subsequently became CEO of money broker Exco, leading its flotation in 1994.