Canadian businessman Christopher Hampson headed the massive British chemical conglomerate ICI

Christopher Hampson, who died in London, England on Aug. 30, one week before his 94th birthday, started his career in Montreal, his hometown, and found success as an international business executive. His first job was with CIL, known as Canadian Industries Limited when he joined the firm as a chemical engineer just out of McGill University.

The company itself had a complex history, and that profoundly affected Mr. Hampson’s career path. CIL, best known today for selling paint, was founded in 1910 as Canadian Explosives Limited, owned jointly by Nobel Industries, with headquarters in Britain, and DuPont, the giant American firm.