About Us
The Board of Basic Controls Limited has over 170 years of commercial business experience between them. Having worked in four continents, they have a wealth of experience.
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Sydney Smith (Eddie)
A South African national now living and working in the United Kingdom.
A Mechanical Engineer by profession, Sydney began his working life as a Project Engineer firstly with Aveling Barford Ltd, a British company operating in South Africa and then Hewitt Robins (Pty) Ltd, an American company specialising in the materials handling industry.
In a complete change of direction, Sydney entered the financial services industry with the two largest companies in South Africa, The Old Mutual and Sanlam.
This led to the formation of First City Brokers (Pty ) Ltd where Sydney served as a Director and later as Chairman. He received the Round Table Million Dollar award in 1976. Sydney purchased United Partitions Ltd in 1980, changed the name to United Interiors Ltd and ran the business successfully until 1984.
During the following years Sydney developed property for his own account and ran an insurance fire and accident construction company, Versekerbou ( Edms ) Bpk.
From 1992 until emmigrating to the United Kingdom, Sydney consulted in the franchising, licensing industry and served as a Director of Megro (Pty) Ltd.
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William A McClintock FRICS FNAEA
Bill McClintock has been involved in the housing market for 50 years and currently a Director of The Guild of Professional Estate Agents at 121 Park Lane London W1 representing over 700 offices in the UK and overseas. Amongst the posts he has held was Managing Director of Royal Life Estates (South) and Operations Director for over 300 offices in the UK. He acquired the Cornerstone estate agency chain from Abbey National with 347 offices.
After selling out in 1995 he served as International Director of Hamptons International in Singapore but also with responsibility for Hong Kong. On his return to the UK he headed the overseas division before turning his attention to The Guild.
He has been responsible for commercial agencies in the UK and has been involved in a significant number of developments let to Government Departments as well as Shopping and office developments principally in London and across the South of England and Wales.
He is Chairman of the Board of The Property Ombudsman in the UK, which has over 12,750 Member offices. He is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), a Fellow of The National Association of Estate Agents (FNAEA) and a Member of The International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI).
He is interested in Country pursuits including fishing and shooting as well as being a local Parish Councillor and having served as Church Warden for over 15 years. He has a current residential development in Thailand.
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Nicholas d'Ambrumenil
A United Kingdom national, resident in England, Nicholas joined a family Lloyd’s broking house Gardner Mountain d’Ambrumenil and Rennie Limited, and remained until it was taken over by Hogg Robinson Ltd in the 1960s. He then joined a Lloyds Syndicate for 5 years in 1963 before joining the Household Cavalry, leaving in 1986 as a Major.
On retiring from the Army, Nicholas joined a Lloyds Members Agency, Stewart Greys Inn, and was appointed a Director in 1987 remaining for 10 years before transferring to another Lloyds Members Agency, CBS, and subsequently to Hampden Agencies Limited where he is currently.
In 1988 he became a Non Executive Director and 15% shareholder of International Coating Products (UK) Ltd, manufacturing spray-on plaster in France and distributing worldwide until its sale to the French Materis Group in 2008.