Gerald Ratner

Gerald Ratner

INFAMOUS BUSINESSMAN
Gerald Ratner is a British household name and a well-known businessman. He is also a name associated with one of the business worlds biggest falls from grace.

Gerald Ratner took over as CEO of the family jewellery chain in the mid 80s, becoming one of Britain's best known businessmen. He transformed it from 130 stores with sales of £13m, to a public company with 2,500 stores and sales of over £1.2bn. By 1990, Ratners was the world's largest jewellery retailer with profits in excess of £120m.

Following a high profile gaffe in which he described some of the products sold in the stores as total crap, he spent 18 months trying to do damage control but was eventually forced to sell the business. He lost everything and was reduced to staying-in watching Countdown in the afternoons, depressed, ostracised and bewildered. He tried to buy a site to start a health club in Henley but no bank would back him as he had no covenant. That is until he devised an ingenious way of raising some capital.

Gerald eventually bought and developed the health club then sold it 3 years later for £3.9m. This was the start of his comeback. He then started his online jewelry business after a fellow jeweler did some market research showing Ratners was still, over 10 years after the event, the most publicly-recognized name in jewelry retailing. However, he was blocked from using his own name by his old company and had to settle for GeraldOnline which today is turning over some £25m and is ready to go public.

Today Ratner's gaffe is still famous in the British Retail industry as an example of the value of branding and image over quality. Such gaffes are now often referred to as Doing a Ratner. His story of Riches-to-Rags disaster at his very own hands fascinates and intrigues. It will be an inspiration to many who have experienced rejection, loss and humiliation.
Send a request
Price from: £ 3,500

Keynotes

Send a request

Gerald Ratner talks about his life in a humourous and motivational way and throws light on how he picked himself up after 'that' gaffe to run a successful business.

Send a request

We will respond within 24 hours

Other speakers

Nathan Littleton
Nathan Littleton
Joan Latta
Joan Latta
Vikie Shanks
Vikie Shanks
Jo Owen
Jo Owen
Gerry Brown
Gerry Brown
Geoff Miller OBE
Geoff Miller OBE
Rick Kiesewetter
Rick Kiesewetter
Robin Waite
Robin Waite
Steve Head
Steve Head
Anthony Garvey
Anthony Garvey
Rhiannon Jones
Rhiannon Jones
Pen Hadow
Pen Hadow