Business News Ex-sailor waives retirement rules By Jon Griffin
He’s a Falklands veteran from the 1982 war, worked as a shop- steward at Longbridge in the halcyon days of Rover, ran a hotel in Turkey, conquered dyslexia – and now he’s got his own computer engineering firm. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for
Jerry Vernon for more than 35 years, ever since he joined the Royal Navy from school and ended up on HMS Brazen as an able seaman travelling to the Falklands – along with Prince Andrew - to play his part in the famous re-taking of the Falklands from the Argentinians. Nearly four decades later, Jerry,
along with wife Kathleen, is the brains behind Dr Jerry, a home- based firm specialising in repairs and advice for all manner of computer problems. Now 55, he launched the
company in June last year at a stage of life when many people are contemplating retirement following decades at the grindstone. But Jerry, from Weoley Castle, is relishing his latest challenge after a lifetime of differing working experiences. “I enjoy working. I had been to
dozens of interviews but wasn’t getting anywhere and was coming to the end of my tether. Somebody asked me to fix a computer and I thought ‘why don’t I do that for a living’?” Jerry had learned computer skills
after he took a break from working at Longbridge in the early 90s to enrol for a labour studies course at Ruskin College in Oxford. After doing a Masters Degree in Industrial Relations at Warwick University he started teaching computer studies, working part- time at South Birmingham College. But the decades leading up to
the launch of Dr Jerry were often far from plain sailing for the Smethwick-born entrepreneur. He struggled academically at school and fought to conquer dyslexia. “My English was poor and my
Royal connections: Jerry and his wife Kathleen
‘He launched the company in June last year at a stage of life when many people are contemplating retirement following decades at the grindstone’
ability to learn was poor. Education failed me the first time, my spelling was appalling, my writing not much better. But people who are dyslexic are good at solving problems – I am good at solving problems. It has gone from a hobby for me to a full-time occupation.” Jerry’s lengthy journey to setting
up on his own – and acquiring vital knowledge of computer skills – was kick-started in the 1990s when he left the assembly line at Longbridge to go to Ruskin College at Oxford, inspiring a lifelong love of learning.
But none of it would have been
possible without the support of his wife Kathleen, who allowed him to leave car assembly at Longbridge to pursue his dreams. Their relationship dates back to the early 80s and his days in the Royal Navy, including his service in the Falklands War. The relationship blossomed after
Kathleen wrote to Navy News seeking a pen-pal from servicemen including Jerry – and penned a separate letter to Prince Andrew. “The Prince called me into his cabin and said ‘I have had a letter
from somebody you may know, I am not in a position to reply to the letter, perhaps you can thank her’.” Kathleen decided to concentrate
on Jerry after failing to hear back from Prince Andrew – and 35 years later the couple are hard at work with their Dr Jerry enterprise. “My wife does the leaflets – we
have done 26,000 in six months. We are now getting around 20 jobs a month and I am getting repeat business - I can see the future, we are getting more calls. We are going in the right direction.”
Council chief executive passes the baton
Greater Birmingham’s business community has praised the work of Mark Rogers, who is to leave Birmingham City Council after three years as chief executive. He moved to Birmingham in 2014 after seven years as chief executive
and director of children’s services at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. His tenure has coincided with a challenging time for England's largest
council, which began with the so-called Trojan Horse crisis in education and included the Kerslake Report into the council's governance. Chamber chief executive Paul Faulkner said: "Mark has been a pleasure
12 CHAMBERLINK March 2017
to work with and he was both approachable and supportive of business and the Chamber. And he gave that support in a practical way by attending Chamber events to strengthen the links between the council and the business community. "We wish him all the best for the future and look forward to developing a
similar relationship with his successor." Mr Rogers said: “I leave the Council in a much stronger position than
when I joined it and, with the proposed budget and transformational plans set out for the next two years, now is a good time to pass on the baton.”
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