LEFT SCHOOL AT 16, married at 18, father of two by the age of 19 - hardly the personal entries on a CV you would expect from the boss of one of East Lancashire's largest companies.

But then again, Paul Baker has never exactly conformed to the norm as he has risen to the role of managing director of Blackburn brewers Daniel Thwaites.

The one-time banker, greeting cards salesman, publican and newsagent will reach the pinnacle of the brewing industry next year when he takes on the chairmanship of the British Beer and Pub Association. The affable 56-year-old has been with Thwaites for the past 16 years and has steered the company's through the most turbulent times in the industry's history.

After spending most of his working life in London and the South East, he has lost none of the accent that is more at home at his beloved West Ham than his 30-acre farm at Heapey near Chorley.

While companies like Whitbread have pulled out of brewing altogether, Thwaites has stuck to its traditions and has emerged as Britain's sixth biggest brewer. The company is still privately controlled by the Yerburgh family; the president is the great-great-grandson of the original Daniel, John Yerburgh, whose wife is the chairman.

Paul believes the stability provided by the family-owned nature of the business, allied to continued investment in both the brewery and its employees, is the secret behind Thwaites' success.

"While we are a privately- controlled business, we operate like a national," he explained. "With all the changes going on in the brewing industry, we knew we had to get bigger or get out of brewing."

Thwaites has invested heavily at its state-of-the art brewery, canning plant and soon-to-be-extended distribution centre. The company now brews beers which are sold under own-label brands for top supermarkets throughout the country. Its canning plant, which runs on a three-shift system, turns out 1,000 cans per minute, largely for other brewers.

Paul's working life began at the age of 16 for a merchant banking operation in London. His next jobs was in the greeting cards industry with Russ Craft where he became the youngest area sales manager. After a short spell as a self-employed sales trainer, he discovered the world of brewing.

He joined Whitbread in West London and ended up in charge of sales to tenanted pubs and the free trade for most of the south of England. With all prospects of promotion blocked, he decided to work for himself and and set up a newsagents business which he subsequently sold.

At the age of 39, he decided to retire. "Within a matter of weeks, I was bored to death," recalled Paul. "When Thwaites approached me to look after the brewery's free trade operation, I had no hesitation in joining them."

Paul knows what life is like behind the bar. While he was selling greetings cards, he took over the Shipwrights' Arms in the notoriously tough docklands of Chatham.

"My wife Jennifer had never worked before so it was something of a different experience," he said. "I joined her behind the bar at nights and at weekends and the area made Moss Side look posh."

Since arriving in Blackburn, Paul has followed the company's traditions by immersing himself in the economic and voluntary aspects of community life.

Over the past 10 years, the Thwaites Charitable Trust has donated more than £150,000 to worthy causes in East Lancashire.

"Thwaites is one of East Lancashire's oldest companies, with a tradition and heritage stretching back almost two centuries," he said. "East Lancashire is both our base and our trading heartland. But as well as trading here, we also try our best to spend our money here for the benefit of the local economy and local people."

Paul plays an active role in the Guardian Angels scheme where East Lancashire company bosses work closely with new and growing small firms. He is also chairman of the Blackburn Theatre Trust. "I made the mistake of missing a committee meeting and ended up with the job by default," he said with the laugh that frequently punctuated our chat. "I've not missed a meeting since!"

Paul knows most of his staff by their first names and is proud of the family ties among the work-force. "People like to be involved and appreciated," he said. "If anyone wants to talk to me they can come straight through on the phone or chat to me on the car park. I try to treat people with respect."