Peter Williams
Born
Peter Richard Michael Williams

June 1974 (age 49)
NationalityBritish
EducationKing Edward's School, Birmingham
Alma materUniversity College London
Known forco-founder and 52% owner, Jack Wills
TitleCEO, Jack Wills
SpouseLaura Jane Williams

Peter Richard Michael Williams (born June 1974) is a British businessman, the co-founder, former co-owner and ex-CEO of the clothing brand Jack Wills.

Early life

Peter Williams was born in June 1974.[1] He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, where he was school captain, followed by a bachelor's degree in economics from University College London.[2]

Career

Peter Williams and Robert Shaw founded Jack Wills in 1999.[3][4] Williams was 23 when the first store opened at 22 Fore Street, Salcombe and it was created with £40,000 – the founders slept above the shop.[5] The brand was named after his grandfather, Jack Williams.[6]

In 2012, Williams debuted on the Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated worth of £200 million ($326 million).[7]

In October 2016, Williams and private equity firm BlueGem became the joint owners, after long-standing investor Inflexion sold out after nine years.[8] Williams owned 52% of the company,[6] but ceased to have any role in the business following its collapse in 2019, which led to a buyout of the brand by Sport Direct (now Frasers Group).[9]

Personal life

Williams has known his wife, Laura Jane Williams, since he was 12 years old.[10][11][1]

References

  1. 1 2 "JACK WILLS LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  2. "Peter Williams, the founder and CEO of Jack Wills | Economics Department". Economics.kehsblogs.net. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  3. Vernon, Polly (9 May 2010). "Jack Wills: The Sloane Ranger Rides Again". The Observer. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  4. Bergin, Olivia (31 March 2010). "Jack Wills to open flagship store in Covent Garden". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  5. Kuchler, Hannah (31 May 2010). "Business Diary: Peter Williams, Jack Wills". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 Zoe Wood (26 June 2016). "Jack Wills may seek further investment as backer looks to pull out | Business". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  7. Samantha Conti (30 April 2012). "Fashion Figures Make London Rich List 2012". Wwd.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  8. Ben Marlow (1 October 2016). "Liberty owner in Jack Wills buyout with chain's founder". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  9. Davies, Rob (5 August 2019). "Sports Direct rescues Jack Wills and adds it to its high-street empire". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  10. Julia Werdigier (1 July 2012). "With the Eagerness of Youth". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  11. Vandevelde, Mark (13 January 2017). "Peter Williams of Jack Wills on the joy he gets from ploughing". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 March 2017. (subscription required)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.