After graduation he spent two years with
Philips before becoming head of the overseas department of the
Industrial Society. He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the
Duke of Edinburgh, for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the
Royal Victorian Order in 1957. He then joined
Booker McConnell, becoming a director of the company. He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of the
Heath Government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as the chairman of the
British Railways Board.
Chairman of British Rail Succeeding
Sir Richard Marsh, Parker was appointed Chairman of
British Rail in 1976 by the
Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of
Margaret Thatcher. He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom. Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the
Social Democratic Party (SDP)). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions (
ASLEF, the
National Union of Railwaymen and the
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) while he was Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes on the railway system during his chairmanship. Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the effects of the
Serpell Report into railway finances in 1982, which made no recommendations but had set out several options for a future network, some of which would have involved mass closures. On one occasion, Parker had to catch a train from
Crewe to
Carlisle, but arrived late and accidentally boarded a non-stopping service heading for
London Euston. Parker was succeeded in 1983 by the vice-chairman,
Robert Reid.
Later career His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971–76, and 1983–92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966–70); Associated British Maltsters (1971–73);
Curtis Brown (1971–76);
Dawnay Day (1971–76);
Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984–96); and
Whitehead Mann (1984–2000). He was also chairman of the
National Theatre, the
British Tourist Authority and of
Westfield College. ==Personal life==