David Ross (businessman)

David Ross (businessman)
David Peter John Ross
Born July 1965 (age 46)
Grimsby
Occupation accountant
co-founder Carphone Warehouse
Spouse ex-partner Shelley Ross
Children 1 son, Carl

David Peter John Ross [1] (born 10 July 1965[1] in Grimsby, Lincolnshire),[2] is an English businessman, co-founder with school friend Charles Dunstone of The Carphone Warehouse. At peak valuation of his business interests, Ross was one of the 100 richest people in the United Kingdom.[3] A profile in The Daily Telegraph put his current net worth at around £873 million (approx. $1.4 billion) at the start of 2008.[4]

Contents

Prior to Carphone Warehouse

Ross is the grandson of (John) Carl Ross, who created one of the UK's largest commercial fishing firms from the family business, and two listed companies: Ross Frozen Foods which he created; and purchase of the Great Grimsby Coal, Salt and Tanning Company (known as Cosalt), which was founded in 1873 as a cooperative that sold all the supplies needed to run a fishing fleet, listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1971.[5]

Born in Grimsby but raised in Leicestershire,[6][7] Ross was educated at Uppingham School, where he met and befriended Charles Dunstone; and then studied law at Nottingham University.[8]

His grandfather taught him never to do business with somebody you wouldn't be willing to entertain in your own own home. At the age of 16, his father sent him to work on a building site in Algeria, which he later described as a defining moment "because it was so bad I knew I had to get away from it and be able to control my destiny."[9]

On graduation from Nottingham University, Ross joined Arthur Andersen and became a Chartered Accountant,[8] staying there from 1988 to 1991.[1]

Carphone Warehouse

Main article: The Carphone Warehouse

In 1989, Ross agreed to join Dunstone, who was ploughing £6,000 of his savings into a business selling mobile phones.[8] They formed Carphone Warehouse, in a flat on the Marylebone Road, London, which four years later had grown to 20 stores. Now also trading as The Phone House,[10] Carphone Warehouse is Europe's largest independent mobile phone retailer.

While Dunstone became the public face of Carphone, Ross (described by Dunstone as his "secret weapon"),[5] developed and drove the high street retail footprint of the company by buying Tandy in the UK, and developing The Phone House across Europe and the United States.[11] When Ross lead the IPO of Carphone Warehouse in 2000, it had been so successful that the partners had not needed to borrow or involve outsiders: Dunstone owned half, Ross a third, and business partner Guy Johnson most of the rest.[12]

Ross had been joint-Chief Operating Officer with Dunstone from 1990 and 2003, whereas Dunstone stayed with the business that he still runs today, Ross started to give up his executive position from 2003.[12] Ross became deputy chairman in July 2005,[13] and by 2008 was a non-executive director. He resigned from Carphone Warehouse, National Express and a number of other public companies in December of that year after using a large proportion of his shares in the businesses as collateral for personal loans without informing the companies, a breach of stock market rules.[14][15]

Other business activities

From 2001 until the events of late 2008, Ross was the chairman of National Express.[1] He also had directorships of several other companies, including family founded ship supply group Cosalt (formerly chairman, a job he took over from his father),[5] publishing and newspaper group Trinity Mirror,[8] Big Yellow Storage,[1] ITIS and Intrinsic Value.[6] Ross was formerly a director of Frontiers Capital.[11]

In 2006, Ross set-up a commercial property joint venture with investment bank Morgan Stanley, into which he injected his private property portfolio, Kandahar Real Estate Ltd, worth £243 million.[16]

Ross, who has a strong personal interest in sport, was also on the board of the reconstruction of Wembley Stadium; and was part of the consortium which rescued Leicester City Football Club from receivership, before it was later sold to Milan Mandarić.[8]

Outside business

Politics

Ross was a member of the Home Office Audit Committee[when?] and Lord Carter's Review of Legal Aid Procurement[when?]. He was recently[when?] appointed to London United, the body supporting the capital's bid to be a host city for the 2018 World Cup bid, having previously been the Mayor's representative for the planning of the 2012 London Olympics.[17]

After Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of London, in May 2008 Ross was Johnson's nominee to the board of the London Organising Committee of the 2012 Olympic Games.[18] He resigned from this position in the wake of the same 2008 event that led to his departure from the board of Carphone Warehouse.[19][15]

Personal life

Ross is unmarried, but has a son, Carl,[20] with ballerina[21] and former[21] pole dancer[22] Michelle "Shelley" Ross. Media reports are unclear and have variously described their common last names as due to chance or coincidence,[23] long term relationship[20] or marriage.[24] Ross owns the 1,500-acre (6.1 km2) Manor Farm estate at Brampton Ash, Northamptonshire. After the murder of his stepsister Fiona Marshall and her boyfriend Richard Flippance at the property in 2006 by her ex-husband Alex,[25] Ross placed the property on the market for £7.75 million in 2008.[26][27] Ross's main residence is the 700-year-old Nevill Holt estate in Leicestershire, which he bought in 2000;[7][28] also the site of his prep school. He has a further home in Kensington, London.

Charitable, Educational and Arts

Ross is a trustee of Uppingham School, and also sponsor of the Havelock Academy in Grimsby[29] which was set up in 2007 with help from his charitable foundation.[5] More recently Northamptonshire County Council agreed for him to sponsor Unity College in Northampton to become an Academy.[30] Ross was appointed to the board of the National Portrait Gallery by Tony Blair in 2006;[5][31] and in the summer hosts the Grange Park Opera at Nevill Holt.[7]

Other and awards

In 2005 - 2006, Ross was a panel member for Lord Carter's Review of Legal Aid Procurement.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Authorised Biography – Debrett’s People of Today, David Ross, Esq". Debrett's. http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/r/25479/David%20Peter%20John+ROSS.aspx. Retrieved 10 June 2011. 
  2. ^ "David Ross". National Portrait Gallery. http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp72195. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  3. ^ "David Ross: The tycoon who fell to earth". The Independent (London). 9 December 2008. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-ross-the-tycoon-who-fell-to-earth-1058023.html. Retrieved 13 December 2008. "This year's Sunday Times Rich List recorded Mr Ross as the 87th-richest man in the UK with an estimated personal wealth of £873m." 
  4. ^ Wilson, Amy (2008-12-08). "David Ross: profile of the Carphone Warehouse co-founder". The Daily Telegraph (London: TMG). ISSN 0307-1235. OCLC 49632006. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3682057/David-Ross-profile-of-the-Carphone-Warehouse-co-founder.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  5. ^ a b c d e Wray, Richard (2008-12-08). "Profile: David Ross". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/09/profile-david-ross. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  6. ^ a b "BREAKING NEWS: David Ross steps down from Carphone Warehouse". thisisgrimsby.co.uk. 2008-12-08. http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/BREAKING-NEWS-David-Ross-steps-Carphone-Warehouse/article-530302-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  7. ^ a b c "HOW WE MET: David Ross & Wasfi Kani". The Independent on Sunday. 2003-06-01. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20030601/ai_n12740951. Retrieved 2008-12-08. [dead link]
  8. ^ a b c d e Farrell, Andrew (2009-03-12). "FORBES.com: In Pictures: Notable Drop-Offs". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/global-financial-loss-billionaires-2009-billionaires-dropoffs_slide_8.html?thisSpeed=30000=. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  9. ^ "Twenty Questions: David Ross, chief operating officer of The Carphone". The Independent. 2000-07-12. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-5096457.html. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
  10. ^ The Phone House
  11. ^ a b Ramnarayan, Abhinav (2008-12-08). "Profile: David Ross". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/08/carphonewarehousegroup-telecoms. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  12. ^ a b Sabbagh, Dan (2008-12-09). "David Ross: glitz and glamour of the upper-class 'barrow boy' with all the right connections". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5310334.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  13. ^ Wilson, Amy (2008-12-08). "Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross quits after disclosure failure". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/3681461/Carphone-Warehouse-co-founder-David-Ross-quits-after-disclosure-failure.html. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  14. ^ Fletcher, Nick (2009-06-11). "Multi-millionaire entrepreneur David Ross sells shares in Carphone Warehouse and Big Yellow". The Guardian (London: GMG). ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/11/david-ross-shares-carphone-big-yellow. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  15. ^ a b "Shock exit of Carphone co-founder". BBC news. 8 December 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7770668.stm. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  16. ^ Ebrahimi, Helia; Wilson, Amy (2008-12-08). "Carphone Warehouse founder under fire over debts". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/3685872/Carphone-Warehouse-founder-under-fire-over-debts.html. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  17. ^ "Boris Johnson on London's role in 2018 World Cup bid". The Evening Standard. 2009-06-30. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-olympics/article-23713608-details/Boris+Johnson+on+London%27s+role+in+World+Cup+bid/article.do. 
  18. ^ Oconnor, Ashling (2008-05-21). "Carphone Warehouse tycoon David Ross put in charge of Olympics purse". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/london_2012/article3972322.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  19. ^ "Carphone's Ross quits 2012 role". BBC news. 9 December 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7773376.stm. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  20. ^ a b Kay, Richard (15 May 2006). "Mrs Lineker flies to mobile tycoon's aid". dailymail.co.uk (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-386277/Mrs-Lineker-flies-mobile-tycoons-aid.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  21. ^ a b Alice Thomson and Rachel Sylvester (2009-10-31). "Phone tycoon David Ross has a strong signal: it's upwardly mobile". TimesOnline (London: News Intl). ISSN 0140-0460. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6897181.ece. Retrieved 10 June 2011. 
  22. ^ Collins, Laura (2008-12-14). "Meet the new girl helping tycoon David Ross through his share scandal - she's only 22!". London: Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1094497/Meet-new-girl-helping-tycoon-David-Ross-share-scandal--shes-22.html. Retrieved 2008-12-14. 
  23. ^ Merrison, Ed (2008-12-09). "Hanging Up: Who Is Carphone Boss?". sky.com. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/David-Ross-Profile-Of-Carphone-Cofounder-Quits-Over-Misuse-Of-Shares/Article/200812215175542. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  24. ^ Obornedailymail.co.uk, Peter (10 December 2008). "After the downfall of Tory donor David Ross, Cameron should choose his friends VERY carefully". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1093323/PETER-OBORNE-After-downfall-Tory-donor-David-Ross-Cameron-choose-friends-VERY-carefully.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011.  - photo caption: "David Ross, left, with wife Shelley Ross..."
  25. ^ "Husband 'killed tycoon's sister'". Metro.co.uk. 2007-03-06. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=40091&in_page_id=34. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  26. ^ "Scene of double murder for sale at £7.75m". Northants Evening Telegraph. 2008-11-20. http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Scene-of-double-murder-for.4719728.jp. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  27. ^ Kay, Richard (2008-11-20). "Phone boss sells up at tragic estate". London: Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1087609/Phone-boss-sells-tragic-estate.html?ITO=1490. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  28. ^ "Set the right tone". London: Times Online. 2006-09-03. http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article623043.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  29. ^ "The David Ross Foundation". http://www.havelockacademy.co.uk/site/page256/305. 
  30. ^ "Carphone Warehouse chief's bid for school is backed". The Northampton Chronicle. 2009-07-07. http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Carphone-Warehouse-chief39s-bid-for.5434386.jp. 
  31. ^ "David Ross appointed to board of the National Portrait Gallery". 10 Downing Street. 17 February 2006. http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/page9080.asp. Retrieved 2006-11-02. 

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