- Perween Warsi
Infobox Person
name = Perween Warsi
image_size =
caption =
birth_name =
birth_date =1956
birth_place =Muzzafarpur ,Bihar ,India
death_date =
death_place =
death_cause =
residence =
nationality = flagicon|UK flagicon|IndiaBritish Indian
occupation = Chief executive of S&A Foods
spouse = Talib Warsi
children = Sadiq and Abid
website =
footnotes =Perween Warsi, CBE, (b. 1956) Founder and Chief Executive, S&A Foods
Biography
Warsi was born in India in 1956 and moved to the United Kingdom in 1975.cite news |first=Emma |last=Clark |title=UK curry queen has empire in her sights |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2221003.stm |work=BBC News Online |date=2002-09-19 ]
Perween began her business making ethnic finger foods from her kitchen. In 1986 she founded S&A foods, winning her first major contract to supply chilled and frozen dishes to
Asda andMorrisons stores, having secured the contract via blind tasting and much perseverance. [cite news |first=Michelle |last=Rosenberg |title=Truly inspired woman: Perween Warsi |url=http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/06959143453611314319/truly-inspired-woman-perween-warsi.html |work=Growing Business |date=Feb 2008 ]In 1989 the first S&A Foods factory was built in
Derby , creating over 100 jobs for the area. By 1996 the success of S&A had led to the need for larger premises, and a new bespoke factory was built next to the original site.Perween was awarded an honorary MBA by the
University of Derby and appointed to theDepartment of Trade and Industry Advisory Committee and Competitiveness. In the same year, Perween was awarded an MBE in the British New Year’s Honours list.In 2002, Perween received the prestigious CBE award in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours list and the Ashridge International Leadership Conference accolade for outstanding leadership. She also sits on the CBI National Committee.
In May 2004, Perween regained 100 per cent ownership of Derby-based S&A Foods with the acquisition of the shareholding from venture capitalists
3i .Most recently, Perween was awarded the First Women Lifetime Achievement Award alongside Baroness Hogg, chairman of 3i (sponsored by the CBI).
Marriage and children
Perween and Talib Warsi married in 1973. The couple has two sons, Sadiq and Abid.
Awards
*1996: Woman Entrepreneur of the World Award
*1997: MBE, New Year’s Honours list
*2002: CBE, Queen’s Jubilee Honours listReferences
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