- Marcus Evans
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Marcus Evans Born Marcus Paul Bruce Evans
August 18, 1963 [1]
Charing Cross Hospital, WestminsterNationality British Known for ownership of Ipswich Town F.C. Spouse Elizabeth Jane Kimberley Stanley (married 1991)[2] Children 2 children Parents Nigel Bruce Charles Evans and Janita Evans (nee Williamson)[3] Marcus Paul Bruce Evans is an English businessman who is also the Owner and Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club. He has links with Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.[citation needed] He founded his company marcus evans[4] in 1983. The group organises live business, sports and entertainment events around the world. Its global regional head offices are: Europe - Dublin, US - Chicago and APAC - Kuala Lumpur. Marcus Evans the individual maintains a low profile – in 2006 MoneyWeek reported that there were no publicly available photographs of him.
Contents
Career
According to Companies House, Evans started his first firm, Associated Promotions, in 1983 when corporate hospitality was a relatively new market. By 1992 he had renamed his company The Hospitality Group (THG Sports Tours) and he bought into a clothing and gifts company, Castle Mills International, but within a year sold out to investor Brian Rousell. THG Sports Tours is now part of the wider Marcus Evans Group.[5] In 1994 he paid £325,000 for a stake of just under 5 per cent in the consumer electronics group Ross,[6] but in 1999, having spent 5 years reorganising the companies with the companies bankers eventually Evans fully arranged a rights issue with other investors who took over the company..[7] In 2004 Evans made an unsuccessful £700+ million offer for the Daily Mirror, followed by another rejected offer of £550+ million in 2006.[8]
2007 Rugby World Cup
In June 2007, the organisers of the Rugby World Cup failed to secure exclusive control over corporate hospitality at the event. In a ruling, the Paris Commercial Court awarded marcus evans the right to run hospitality packages without the approval of the organising committee.[9] Marcus Evans won its case after telling the court that its packages included receptions before and after the matches, but not tickets to see them. This claim was contested by the organising committee. However despite taking Marcus Evans’ THG Group to the highest appeal courts in France in 2008, THG Group won its case in the courts.
2012 Olympic Games (London)
In 2007, The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) officially appointed the THG Sports Tours[10], another company owned by Marcus Evans and part of the Marcus Evans Group as its official ticketing agency for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.[11]
Subsequently, both the Greek Olympic organisation and the Maltese Olympic organisation[12] have appointed THG Sports Tours as their agents.[13]
Ipswich Town
In 2007 Ipswich Town Football Club announced that Marcus Evans would be buying a controlling stake in the club subject to contracts, due diligence and shareholder approval. The proposed deal would see Evans purchase Ipswich Town's £32 million debts with Aviva (Norwich Union) and Barclays Bank. The official announcement did not stake the terms of this deal: various unsourced media reports speculated that he was paying anything between 20 pence and 100 pence in the pound, without giving sources. [14] He would also inject £12 million into the club in exchange for an issue of new shares, which would give him a 87.5% stake, and reduce the existing shareholders stake to 12.5%. [15] The deal was finalised following an EGM on 17 December 2007, at which the proposal was backed by shareholders speaking for 98.9% of the stock.[16]
Since its purchase the club has struggled to improve on mid-table Championship finishes. Despite these results Marcus Evans has continued to support the club. Simon Clegg, the Ipswich chief executive, said in a BBC radio interview [17] "Marcus is hugely committed to the club, continues to be very enthusiastic and is prepared to continue to support the manager."
marcus evans television
In 2004, Marcus Evans set up marcus evans television with ex BBC Producer Mark Wilkin. The TV division created a range of "The World of ...." series. The magazine programme "The World of Football" enjoyed the most success and was broadcast in the UK by Sky and BBC and was licensed across most major global territories.
Liberal Democrats
In 2007, a Liberal Democrats spokesman confirmed that the party has received significant support from Marcus Evans Ltd to establish a national phone bank allowing the party to compete with Labour and the Conservatives on a more level playing field and make further significant advances in future elections. [18].
Political links
Guest speakers at summit events run by the Marcus Evans Group have included: George H. W. Bush, 41st US President (1989-1993); Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida (1999-2007); Bill Clinton 42nd US President, (1993-2001); Dick Cheney, 46th US Vice President (2001–2009); The Honorable William H. Frist, MD, 18th Majority Leader, US Senate (2003-2007); Tony Blair, British Prime Minister (1997-2007) and Newt Gingrich, 58th Speaker of the US House of Representatives (1995-1999).
Tax exile status
Companies House entry for Evans' first company Associated Promotions lists his address as in Bermuda. When he was a director of Ross Group, documents filed revealed that his contract as chairman required him to spend only 60 days a year in the UK. Companies House lists his fifteen firms, including his core company The Marcus Evans Group, as all being registered in Bermuda. Marcus Evans is believed to be based in Ireland where his European headquarters are located, although he still owns his two homes in Britain (Kingston-upon-Thames and Chelsea).[19] Evans resigned all his UK-based directorships in 2000.
However, he does appear on the UK Electoral roll at his London address for the years 2004–2005 and 2008 and he bought the Trewarthenick Estate in Tregony, Cornwall for a reputed £9 million, which is currently being renovated.[20]
References
- ^ Companies House
- ^ General Register Office for England and Wales
- ^ General Register Office for England and Wales
- ^ http://www.marcusevans.com/ marcus evans corporate website
- ^ THG Sports Tours Corporate website, referencing connections to the Marcus Evans Group
- ^ The Independent – Fresh blood at Ross Group
- ^ TWTD.co.uk
- ^ The Times (Business section) article – July 2005
- ^ The Times – Hospitality group gives World Cup organisers bloody nose
- ^ London 2012 News
- ^ Olympic Council of Ireland website
- ^ The Malta Independent online
- ^ London 2012 Ticketing website
- ^ Norwich Union severs Ipswich Town links, eveningnews24.co.uk, 1 November 2007.
- ^ New Investment, itfc.premiumtv.co.uk, 31 October 2007
- ^ http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~1193488,00.html
- ^ BBc Radio Interview
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1539376/Multi-millionaire-backs-Lib-Dems-challenge.html
- ^ TWTD.co.uk
- ^ This is Plymouth
External links
- Marcus Evans – marcus evans corporate website
- THG Sports Tours - Official London 2012 Ticket Reseller and owned by Marcus Evans
- Marcus Evans - Marcus Evans
- Marcus Evans - Marcus Evans
Categories:- English businesspeople
- English football chairmen and investors
- Ipswich Town F.C.
- 1963 births
- Living people
- People from Bury St Edmunds
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