Meet Our Guest:

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Theo Paphitis built a diverse business empire spanning retail, property, finance, and consumer goods. Overcoming dyslexia, he started as a filing clerk at a Lloyds of London brokerage before transitioning to retail. With a foray back into insurance, he gained finance and property experience.

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With a remarkable career in retail, involved in business turnarounds, investments, growing a football club, as well as numerous TV appearances, our special guest needs no introduction.

With over 8 years on the Dragons' Den panel and a large portfolio of successful investments, Theo sits atop a retail empire, including High Street giants like Ryman Stationery, Boux Avenue, Robert Dyas, and more.

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Returning to retail, Theo revitalised high street names like Ryman, Partners the Stationers, La Senza, and Robert Dyas. He also co-owned and revived Red Letter Days and launched Boux Avenue in 2011. In 2015, he formed Theo Paphitis Retail Group, encompassing Ryman, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue, and London Graphic Centre which serves millions of customers, has 300 locations, and over 4,000 employees.

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Theo has a strong TV presence with 8 years on the panel of Dragons’ Den, regular appearances on BBC News and Radio, and other shows like BBC’s ‘The Boss Is Back’, ‘Celebrity Storage Hunters’, and ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

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Theo's sports passion led him to chair Millwall Football Club for 8 years, achieving notable successes, including promoting the team to the FA Cup final against Manchester United. He co-founded sports marketing company Movie & Media Sports in the late '90s and, in 2013, invested in MB Partners, where he now serves as Chairman.

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Over dinner Theo shared insights with our members:

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• His journey and passion for retail

• Perspectives on Britain's direction

• What lies ahead for him.

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