Feature
TAKING FRAUD TO THE BOARD
The Retail Business Show 2009 Agenda
The Retail Business Show will once Mary Queen
again be showcasing advances in of Shops –
loss prevention and profit Mary Portas
protection technology as well as one of the
providing the shop window on headlines at
some of the best case study the Retail
examples on the Retail Fraud Business
Pavilion stage on 28-29 January Show
2009.
The show will play host to some
5000 visitors who have come to see
and hear from some of the biggest
names in retail past and present.
On the main Multi Channel
Retail Stage will be Mary Portas,
better known from BBC 2’s ‘Mary
Queen of Shops’ who has been
described as Gordon Ramsey meets
Dragon’s Den in a retail management roles with Mars Inc, before, that speech caused him to
environment and is probably the Unilever and Alberto-Culver. lose his business, his reputation and
UK’s foremost authority on retail Stephen served for seven years as his fortune. It says something about
and brand communication. Marketing Director at B&Q plc our society that people like to list
Previously Creative Director of before leading the acquisition of what he lost in monetary terms: a
Harvey Nichols, Mary repositioned Screwfix Direct which he then £650,000 salary, £500m wiped off
the brand into the world chaired steering it through a period the valuation of his company, and a
renowned store and restaurant of strong growth. He went on to billion-pound turnover slashed
group it is today. Mary’s foresight become Director of overnight.
and unique knowledge of retail Communications at Kingfisher plc Brent Hoberman co-founded
trends and consumer insights has and took the helm of the Ellen lastminute.com in April 1998 with
made her a household name and MacArthur sponsorship. Most Martha Lane Fox and was CEO
she is now spokesperson for the recently Stephen served for three when he took the company to
retail and fashion industry on the years on the retail board at profit and gross bookings of over
Today programme on Radio 4, Woolworth plc. He is a former $2bn. The company floated in
Panorama and all national lifestyle Chairman, and now Fellow, of the March 2000 when the dot-com
TV shows. Marketing Society and bubble was at its peak. It more
Also presenting on the main acknowledged as one of the UK's than survived the dot.com ‘bubble’
stage is Stephen Robertson, the top retail marketeers. bursting and in 2005
new Director General of the British Gerald Ratner needs few lastminute.com was sold to Sabre
Retail Consortium who will be introductions. In his presentation for $1.1bn. Brent has since founded
talking about the current retail he will look at the fall and Rise of another VC-backed internet based
climate in the UK and the an iconic brand and why it still startup, mydeco, which will be an
challenges faced by the High hurts 16 years on. In 2006 a book innovative online service for home
Street. The BRC represents 85 per was published called History’s Worst design and furniture. He is a non-
cent of the UK High Street and acts Decisions. Alongside Nero burning executive board director of
as a voice of diversity in the Rome to the ground, Eve eating the Guardian Media Group. From
industry. Stephen will look at the apple, and the choice not to install January, 2007 he took on the role
current trading environment and a tsunami warning system in the of Non-Executive Chairman of
the BRC initiatives put in place to Indian Ocean was the now famous Wayn.com – a travel and leisure
drive footfall, defeat crime and speech Gerald Ratner made in 1991. social network with over 10 million
increase member confidence. Despite the fact that he didn’t kill members. Brent is also an angel
Stephen's career has spanned 14 anybody, he didn’t do anything investor in several internet
years on the boards of major UK illegal and he didn’t even say companies including Viagogo,
retailers building on earlier anything that hadn’t been said Wayn.com and moveme.com.
18 • RETAIL FRAUD
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