Arthur Ryan

Arthur St. John Ryan (born July 1935 in Dublin , Ireland - † July 8, 2019 ) was an Irish entrepreneur and manager . He was the founder of the fashion discounter Primark .

Life

Arthur Ryan was born the son of an insurance salesman . He attended the Christian Brothers School in Dublin. After school he went to London and worked for the men's tailor Swan & Edgar and the fashion wholesaler Carr & McDonald . Back in Dublin, he took a job at the Dunnes retail chain .

In the late 1960s Arthur Ryan was hired by Garfield Weston, co-owner of Associated British Foods (ABF) and the parent company of today's Primark chain, to start a clothing chain. The concept of the planned fashion discounter was to offer the latest catwalk trends at rock-bottom prices.

Ryan received £ 50,000 starting capital and opened the first Penneys store on Dublin's Mary Street in 1969 . The first branch in Belfast followed in 1971 . For the planned expansion to Great Britain, the name had to be changed in 1973 to avoid legal problems with the US chain JC Penney . The name Primark was created.

As of June 18, 2019, the fashion chain had 376 stores in 12 countries (including the USA).

In September 2009, Arthur Ryan stepped down as CEO of Primark and became Chairman ; his successor as CEO was Paul Marchant. Ryan was to remain Chairman for a transition period and then retire.

In 2011 Arthur Ryan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) for his contribution to the economy and employment in Ireland and worldwide.

In 2012 DIT opened the Arthur Ryan Retail Center , an institute for training and research in the retail sector .

Personally

Ryan was married to former singer Alma Carroll, who is now Vice-Chairwoman of UNICEF Ireland. In addition to daughter Jessica, he had a son named Barry.

Arthur Ryan lived in seclusion in one of Dublin's best-protected houses. He did not give interviews, was rarely seen in public, and had an inconspicuous demeanor.

At the beginning of July 2015, the public learned of a family tragedy: the son and heir Barry Ryan (51) drowned in a futile rescue operation in Baltimore Harbor on the Irish coast near Cork, as was allegedly the grandson Barry Ryan jr. (21); both had wanted to save Barry's friend Niamh O'Connor (20), but she also drowned.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Business legend Arthur Ryan conferred at DIT. Dublin Institute of Technology, November 19, 2011, archived from the original on April 16, 2015 ; accessed on July 9, 2019 (English). 
2. ↑ Textile discounter Primark: Erbe drowns in attempt to rescue. In: FAZ.net . July 3, 2015, accessed July 8, 2019 .