Chris Dawson (businessman)

Chris Dawson
Born Christopher Frederick Dawson
(1952-02-15) 15 February 1952
Nationality British
Education Plymstock School
Known for Founder, owner, and executive chairman, The Range
Net worth GBP £1.65 billion (STRL, April 2015)[1]
Spouse(s) Sarah Dawson
Children 2

Christopher Frederick Dawson (born 15 February 1952) is a British billionaire businessman; founder, owner and executive chairman of the British retail chain The Range.

Early life

Dawson was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of a market trader. He attended Hooe Primary School and then Plymstock School. Dawson attended school irregularly, struggled with dyslexia, and left at 15 years old with few qualifications.[2][3] He has since returned to Hooe Primary School to discuss business studies with students.[4]

Career

Dawson started as a market trader in Plymouth. He sold seafood from the back of a van with his father, and later started his own venture selling perfume and jewellery from a suitcase.[3][5]

Dawson started CDS Superstores (Chris Dawson Superstores) in 1989, and opened an outlet store in Sugar Mill Business Park in Plymouth called 'The Range Home, Garden & Leisure'. The store sold toys, home wares, DIY equipment and Jewellery.[3]

A 'The Range Home, Garden & Leisure' brand store was opened in Cardiff in February 2000; Dawson later bought the business park where this store sits.[6] The Range was featured in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 companies from 2003 to 2012, once ranking at number 48.[7] In 2015 the retail chain has about 100 stores, all of which are owned directly by Dawson.[2]

Dawson's CDS Superstores International company started a subsidiary, CDS Group Services, a shop fitting company that has clients that include Lego, Lush Cosmetics, Levi's jeans and sister company The Range. CDS Group Services was listed in twelfth place in the Real Business Hot 100 Companies in 2012.[8]

Dawson was an ambassador for the Channel 4 Jobs Report in 2012, named the Ernst & Young Overall Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011, and in the same year advised the Prime Minister David Cameron on issues facing growing businesses.[9][10][11] In 2012 he was interviewed by Justin Leigh on BBC Radio Devon,[12]

Chris Dawson accepts his Ernst & Young awards

Dawson was interviewed in 2013 for the series Peter Jones Meets.[13][14]

Chris Dawson & Peter Jones on set on Peter Jones Meets

In 2013, Dawson's businesses had an estimated worth to 585 million pounds.[3][15] He has established several other companies involved in property, dry cleaning, manufacturing and waste management services.[16]

In April 2015, the Sunday Times Rich List reported that his net worth was £1.65 billion.[1]

Personal life

Dawson lives in Plymouth with his wife Sarah. They have two children who also work for The Range family business.[3] He has one grandson.

Dawson participates in recreational motocross and spends time in the south of France.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times (page 24). 26 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 Johnston, Ian (11 May 2014). "Super-Rich List: Britain's newest billionaire Chris Dawson is a real-life Del Boy". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "The MT Interview: Chris Dawson". Management Today. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Entrepreneur Chris Dawson goes back to school | Devon Live". thisisdevon.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Chris Dawson | Retail Week". retail-week.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Chris Dawson buys Plymouth retail park and vows to rename it | Plymouth Herald". thisisplymouth.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  7. ↑ The Range – Company search results Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Fast Track.
  8. ↑ "Hot 100 2012 – 12: CDS Group Services". Real Business. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  9. ↑ http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EoY_-_2011_award_recipients/$FILE/EY_EOY_2011_award_recipients.pdf
  10. ↑ "Channel 4 reveals Jobs Ambassadors – Channel 4 News". Channel 4. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "500 business leaders tell David Cameron to negotiate a better deal with Europe". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "BBC Radio Devon – Justin Leigh, in conversation..." BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "BBC Two – Peter Jones Meets..., Series 1, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Latest Devon News | DevonLive.com". thisisdevon.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "'Del Boy' Dawson rockets up the Rich List | West Country – ITV News". itv.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Chris Dawson | The Times & The Sunday Times". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "My Week: Chris Dawson of The Range". managementtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2017.


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