Giles Clarke

C. Giles Clarke (born May 9, 1953 in Bristol), [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/312637.html Bio at CricInfo] ] is an English businessman and cricket enthusiast, who is currently chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Biography

Charles Giles Clark was born in Bristol, and educated at Rugby School. Clarke graduated from Oriel College, University of Oxford with an MA in Persian with Arabic, reportedly paying his way through from his exploits at gambling. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article2532690.ece The incoming chairman of the ECB promises to be more controversial, more decisive and far more outspoken] The Times - September 26, 2007] He then spent a year at the University of Damascus Arabic language school. [http://www.setsquared.co.uk/pics%5Cembedded_documents%5C071004%20BEN%20Question%20Time%20Poster.pdf Entrepreneurs Question Time] SetSquared - 4 October, 2007]

Business career

Clarke began his career as an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston. In 1981 he bought from receivership the assets of what was to become Majestic Wine, [http://www.lsc.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/councilmembers/C_Giles_Clarke.htm About Us: National Council - C Giles Clarke] Learning & Skills Council] where as Chairman he built it into a UK national chain. From August 1987 to May 1988, Clarke was chairman of Majestic Wine Corporation Inc, a United States company which owned a chain of 104 stores trading as Liquor Barn in California and Arizona. [ [http://www.digitallook.com/news/rns/166762-24874/SVO-Directorate_Change.html tecc-IS plc - Directorate Change] digitallook.com - 12 December, 2003] Following disposal of the US based businesses, he sold the UK plc business of Majestic Wines for £15 million in 1989. In 1990 he founded Pet City, where as CEO he built it into a chain of 94 stores. After taking the business public in 1995, he sold the business for £150 million in 1996 to US based PetsMart. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990224/ai_n14210773 How to lose a fortune in two years] Independent - February 24, 1999] In 1998, Clarke founded Safestore, building it into the UK's third largest self storage company, selling it to Bridgepoint Capital for £44million in August 2003. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030822/ai_n12707844 Soros makes a loss in Safestore's £40m management buyout] Independent - August 22, 2003]

Clarke is currently Chairman and controlling shareholder, via his company West Country Ventures Ltd, of:
*ATL Telecom - Cardiff based data transmission design equipment company, which manufactures in China [ [http://www.atltelecom.com/?pid=205&nid=45 ATL Telecom announces £20 million 3 year contract to provide enhancements to BT’s KiloStream network] ATL Telecom] [ [http://www.cto-ict.org/index.php?dir=04&sd=30&aid=1161 Interview with Giles Clarke - West Country Financier and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ATL Telecom Ltd] Commonwealth Government & Business Guide to Information and Communication Technolog]
*Fosters Event Catering - a West Country based independent caterer [ [http://fostersevents.co.uk/wings.htm Fosters spread the word and their Wings] Fosters Catering - 14th February 2007]
*CCI International - the UK's largest clay pigeon equipment manufacturer [ [http://www.cci-international.com/english__/aboutcci_.htm About Us] CCI International]
*West Country Business Systems - develops software systems for managing independent schools.
*Boston Tea Party - a West Country based chain of coffee shops
*Pure Wafer plc - presently the only European based silicon chip test wafer reclaim company [ [http://www.purewafer.com/corp_management.html About Us] Pure Wafer plc]

Clarke is also Chairman of oil and gas explorer Chaco Resources, [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/21/cxmktrep121.xml Market profile - Energised: Giles Clarke] The Telegraph - 21 May, 2007] and non-executive chairman of the advisory board of the venture capital company Hamilton Bradshaw, alongside founder and majority share holder CEO James Caan. [ [http://www.hamiltonbradshaw.com/our_team_giles.html Bio of Giles Clarke] Hamilton Bradshaw]

Public service

Clarke is a National Council member of the Learning and Skills Council, the largest quango in the UK with a budget of £10 billion, responsible for all UK adult learning. Clarke is also a member of the Adult Learning Committee, a statutory body set up by the UK Parliament. He was Deputy Chair of the EU Task Force on Skills and Mobility and presented its report to the Barcelona Summit in 2002.

Clarke is also Deputy Chairman of the Bristol Old Vic theatre, and a patron of Changing Faces, the UK national charity supporting and representing people with disfigurement.

Cricket

A keen club cricketer, Clarke became chairman of Somerset County Cricket Club, becoming instrumental in developing the club both on and off field and consulting experts including Sir Ian Botham. He resultantly became a non-executive director of the England and Wales Cricket Board, and as Chairman of Marketing led the negotiations for their new four year TV and radio broadcasting rights deal signed with BSkyB, Five and the BBC in December 2004. [ [http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/media-releases/sky-sports-get-live-coverage,2887,EN.html ECB TV rights deal with Sky and Five] ECB - 16 December, 2004] On 25 September, 2007 Clarke was voted in as Chairman of the ECB, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7011119.stm Clarke wins ECB chairmanship vote] BBC Sport - 25 September 2007] a post he will hold until March 2009.

Private life

Married to Judy, the couple have a son Jack - after whom the brasserie in Bristol is named. A family man and protective of his private life, when his name appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List in the mid-1990s, Clarke took steps to protect his financial interests from the public.

References

External links

* [http://www.hamiltonbradshaw.com/our_team_giles.html Bio at Hamilton Bradshaw]
* [http://www.lsc.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/councilmembers/C_Giles_Clarke.htm Bio at the Learning & Skills Council]
* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/312637.html Bio at CricInfo.com]
* [http://ww.safestore.co.uk Safestore Self Storage]