Company founder ‘left lasting legacy’

Jan 23 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

THE founder and CEO of a successful Northumberland technology company and a member of the well-known family which owned the former John & Robert Sinclair Tobacco Co in Newcastle has died after a short illness.

Robert Ian Sinclair, 76, passed away in his home town of Mendham, New Jersey, USA. He had lived and worked abroad for many years, including 30 years in the US, after leaving his native North-East, but still retained close links with the area.

Born in Newcastle in 1931 to Leslie and Dulcie Sinclair, Bob went to King’s College, Durham University, where he gained an MSc in agriculture and engineering.

He worked for several companies in England, France and the US, including English Electric, Procter & Gamble, Gulf + Western and Revlon, where he gained the commercial experience and management skills that would be invaluable in starting and running his own company.

For the past 27 years Bob was president and CEO of Applied Science Group in Massachusetts, US, a pioneering manufacturer of advanced eye-tracking equipment. In 2004, he founded Cramlington-based Applied Neurodiagnostics (AN) and had since played a pivotal role in bringing the company and its products to the market.

Mr Sinclair is survived by his wife Valerie, daughters Nicola and Fiona, son Stephen and grandchildren James and Riley.

AN chairman Simon Hunt said: “We are deeply saddened by his death. Bob has left a lasting legacy as the basis for our future success, which we are all determined to realise. His energy, enterprise and innovative spirit will endure in the company’s growth.”

Dr Keith Morris, general manager of AN, said: “Bob’s charm and enthusiasm could reach out to all types of people and put them at ease.

“He was an inspiration to everyone around him and made a big impact on all those who knew and worked with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

AN is a pioneering medical device company which develops and makes medical devices that use eye-tracking and pupil measuring technology. Bob’s vision was to see AN capitalise on the knowledge, products and IP of his US-based research and technology company – a world leader in eye-tracking technology.

Mr Hunt said: “This vision will be realised by the dedicated team that he formed to develop and market the company’s technology.”

This year promises a lot for the company as it is set to launch the PLR60, a new device set to improve the way optometrists determine the presence or absence of glaucoma. Its products can also be used in research, the sports sector and by the military.

Outside of work, Bob pursued many interests. He had been involved in his late teens and early 20s racing cars on a semi-professional basis and became interested again in the sport in later years as an active member of the Jaguar Club and the Sports Car Club of North America.

He was an avid target and skeet shooter and enjoyed outdoor and hydroponics gardening as well as maintaining an interest in genealogy – he was particularly proud of his Scottish heritage.