Selection Committee 2008
Richard Bradbury, Chief Executive Officer , River Island Clothing Co. Ltd
Richard Bradbury is currently the CEO of one of the high street´s most respected brands, River Island. Since 1989 he has led a highly talented team who are responsible for the continued growth and success of the River Island brand to its current size of 245 shops in the UK and Ireland. River Island also operates international stores in Holland and Spain and a franchise business in the Middle East, Poland, Turkey and Singapore; the Russian franchise is due to open later this year. In addition, the commercial website river-island.com is invariably in the top three most visited online stores in the UK.
Richard has always worked in the retail world. He started work as a trainee on the shop floor for a menswear retailer and moved up quickly to manager before moving to a head office function in merchandising at Harry Fenton.
Richard joined the Burton Group in 1979 as a Merchandiser where he later became Jeans buyer which was a new position specifically created as men started to wear more casual clothes. He then became Buying and Merchandising Controller for the casualwear division and in 1986 Richard was appointed Buying Director.
In 1989 Richard joined River Island as Managing Director of Womenswear. Nine years later he was given the additional responsibility for Menswear and was made MD of both divisions.
River Island has sponsored Graduate Fashion Week for the past four years and has signed up to sponsor the event in 2009. Richard passionately believes in nurturing talent and is a regular visitor to the various fashion collages and universities across the UK. River Island has offered jobs to over 200 graduates since sponsorship of GFW began.
In January 2008 Richard was appointed Chief Executive Officer of River Island and was also awarded a CBE in recognition of his services to the retail industry.
Website: www.riverisland.com