Henry Alan Sweetbaum

Henry Sweetbaum is the former chairman and chief executive of DIY chain Wickes.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
==Early career==
Sweetbaum studied economics at Wharton, where he roomed with his future business partner, Saul Steinberg.UK: Henry Sweetbaum - from dishwasher to Wickes, Management Today, 1 January 1991.
Sweetbaum went on to work as a cost accountant at Steinberg's company Leasco for a year, before moving to a business equipment manufacturer selling small computers. He returned to Leasco, a year later and played a key role in the focus on leasing computers which drove Leasco's subsequent expansion,UK: Henry Sweetbaum - from dishwasher to Wickes, Management Today, 1 January 1991. He served as executive director of the company, and joined the board of Reliance Insurance when it was taken over by Leasco in 1968.Susan Frith, Radical Threats, Studied Solutions, Penn Gazette, 26 June 2014.
Sweetbaum left as executive vice president of Leasco in 1969 after differences of opinion with Steinberg, the company's president, about Leasco's direction.Steve Lohr, WICKES'S NEW LOOK IN EUROPE, New York Times, 22 April 1986.
He moved to the United Kingdom in 1970, when he was appointed Executive Director of the Plessey Company Limited.Henry Sweetbaum – Chairman, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, accessed 15 July 2015.
Sweetbaum became a director of Statesman Travel in 1975, where he joined chartered accountant Richard Boddie.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
From 1976 to 1982, Sweetbaum chaired Data Recording Instrument Company, a British government-owned computer peripherals manufacturer.Henry Sweetbaum – Chairman, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, accessed 15 July 2015.
==Wickes==
From 1982-1986, he was Chairman of Wickes International Corporation.Henry Sweetbaum – Chairman, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, accessed 15 July 2015. His recruitment came at the initiative of corporate turnaround specialist Sanford Sigoloff.Steve Lohr, WICKES'S NEW LOOK IN EUROPE, New York Times, 22 April 1986.
In 1986, he led the management buyout of Wickes plc and served as Chairman and CEO until 1996.Henry Sweetbaum – Chairman, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, accessed 15 July 2015.
In 1996, auditors Andersen uncovered a scandal that threatened the company, with the discovery of a letter that suggested a two-tier contract system, with one letter that was shown to auditors and another that was not.Ex-Wickes boss quit over fraud, This is Money, 18 September 2002.
In 1996, the Independent alleged that Sweetbaum faced a potential conflict of interest in his role at Wickes, because he was a director and major shareholder in a travel business, Statesman Travel, which provided Wickes with group travel and accommodation arrangements for senior management.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
In a statement quoted by the Independent, Sweetbaum said: 
::The relationship between Statesman Travel and Wickes was a normal arm's length trading relationship, fully disclosed to the board and the auditors of Wickes, and the board resolved the relationship was immaterial, and did not require disclosure.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
In 2002, he was one a number of former Wickes directors found not guilty on charges of fraudulent trading and making a false statement to auditors between January 1 1994 and June 27 1996.Ex-Wickes trio cleared of fraud, The Telegraph, 26 November 2002.
During the trial, Sweetbaum reportedly accepted that accountancy fraud meant Wickes' profits were overstated:
::'I took the responsibility, I resigned,' Henry Sweetbaum, former chairman and chief executive, told Southwark Crown Court. Cross-examined by crown prosecutor Anthony Hacking QC, Sweetbaum said: 'I do not feel any remorse about the fraud as I was not a party to the fraud.'Ex-Wickes boss quit over fraud, This is Money, 18 September 2002.
==PS Capital==
In 1997, he co-founded PS Capital LLC, an American company that advises and invests in companies in Asia, Europe and the U.S.Henry Sweetbaum – Chairman, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, accessed 15 July 2015.
==IDC Support==
According to the Penn Gazette, Sweetbaum offered funding to the London School of Economics (LSE) and IDC Herzliya for a project challenging the academic boycott of Israel. The LSE turned down the funding but it was taken up by the IDC.Susan Frith, Radical Threats, Studied Solutions, Penn Gazette, 26 June 2014.
==ICSR==
After the 7/7 bomb attacks in London, Sweetbaum sought to support a conference on terrorism in London, which he hoped would also challenge the academic boycott of Israel. He enlisted the support of Harvey Rubin director of the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Yoram Wind, Lauder Professor at Wharton.Susan Frith, Radical Threats, Studied Solutions, Penn Gazette, 26 June 2014. Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman helped him to secure the involvement of King's College London and the IDC Herzliya.Finding this mix "somewhat imbalanced", the partners sought the cooperation of an Arab institution, and after some difficulty, enlisted the the Institution of Diplomacy in Jordan.Susan Frith, Radical Threats, Studied Solutions, Penn Gazette, 26 June 2014.
They subsequently decided to expand the project into a research center, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR), launched in 2008.Susan Frith, Radical Threats, Studied Solutions, Penn Gazette, 26 June 2014.
==Affiliations==
*HASS Corporation (Henry Alan Sweetbaum Services) - US company through which Sweetbaum received some of his remuneration while at Wickes.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
*Statesman Travel - Sweetbaum was a major shareholder in 1995.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
*Huntingdon Securities - Sweetbaum vehicle in 1995.The DIY boss and the private network he assembled himself, The Independent, 28 July 1996.
*Accelerator Technology Holdings - investment committee member.
*Inovent - Advisory Board member.
==Connections==
*Anne Sweetbaum
*Barry Sweetbaum
*Richard Boddie
*Sanford Sigoloff
==Notes==
Sweetbaum, HenrySweetbaum, Henry