Touker Suleyman

Touker Suleyman
Suleyman in 2015
Born Türker Süleyman
(1953-08-04) 4 August 1953
Famagusta, Cyprus
Residence London, England
Occupation Businessman, CEO - Hawes & Curtis/Ghost
Net worth Increase £150 million (2015)
Children 2
Website www.toukersuleyman.com

Touker Suleyman (born Türker Süleyman;[1] 4 August 1953) is a multi-millionaire Turkish Cypriot British business magnate fashion retail entrepreneur and investor. In 2001, his company Low Profile Group purchased UK shirt maker Hawes & Curtis, and in 2008 he purchased UK fashion label Ghost. More recently, he has invested in a number of start-up companies including Bikesoup and Huxley & Cox.

In 2015, The Sunday Times listed Suleyman as 637th in its Rich List, estimating his fortune to be in excess of £150 million.[2][3]

Early life

Suleyman was born in Famagusta on 4 August 1953, into a Turkish Cypriot family.[4][5][6] After moving to England, he attended Peckham Manor secondary school.[4]

Career

Low Profile Group

In 1984, Suleyman acquired a small cash-and-carry business which subsequently became Low Profile Group, a clothing manufacturer supplying UK retail stores including Marks & Spencer. The company’s factories are based in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Georgia.[4][7]

Hawes & Curtis

In 2001, Low Profile Group acquired Hawes & Curtis for £1.[8][7] Turnover at Hawes & Curtis rose from £600,000 in 2001 to £30m in 2014, whilst Suleyman retained the Chairmanship of Hawes & Curtis. [8]

As of 2014, Hawes & Curtis operates from 30 branches in the UK and one in Cologne, Germany. In 2013, UAE investment group Korath Holding signed a $5m deal to open 26 Hawes & Curtis stores across the Gulf over a period of five years.[9]

Ghost

In 2008, Suleyman purchased UK fashion label Ghost after its owner, KCAJ, an Icelandic investment fund, cut investment following the collapse of the Icelandic banking market.[10] The acquisition safeguarded 142 jobs across the company.[10] In 2009 the label announced its first collaboration with design duo Modernist.[11]

Other investments

Alongside Ghost, Touker Suleyman has invested in Docks Rio, a casual boat shoe brand; Intelligent Futures, an online advertising start-up; Huxley & Cox, a manufacturer of luxury handbags; and Bikesoup, an online marketplace for bicycles in which he invested £100,000 for an undisclosed stake.[7][12]

Dragons' Den

In 2015, Suleyman was chosen to join the investors' panel on the thirteenth series of BBC television programme Dragons' Den, alongside Nick Jenkins and Sarah Willingham.[13]

Personal life

Suleyman lives in London and has two daughters.[3][5]

References

  1. ↑ "Türker Süleyman Dragon's Den'de". Kıbrıs Postası. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Rich List 2015: if you're worth £100 million, join our club". The Sunday Times. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Meet the new Dragons: Sarah Willingham, Touker Suleyman and Nick Jenkins". Radio Times. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Blackhurst, Chris (20 March 2015). "Touker Suleyman: Dragon's role for clothing king who came back from a £20m burning". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 Berwin, Lisa (7 August 2008). "Fashion addict". Retail Week. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Mr. Touker Suleyman". Find The Company. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Burn-Callander, Rebecca (21 Jan 2014). "'X Factor for new firms' founded by Ghost boss". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. 1 2 Howarth, Jo (25 November 2014). "Interview with an FD; Sam Nesan". FD Recruit. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "British shirtmaker to open 26 stores across Gulf". Retail News. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 O’Brien, Rachel (31 October 2008). "Businessman saves fashion label Ghost from collapse". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Modernist unveils new Ghost story". Drapers. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Touker Suleyman". Company Check. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Dragons' Den hires three new, er dragons for new series". BBC. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
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