Gordon Black CBE DL was born in 1943 and educated at Bootham
School, York and Clare College, Cambridge, where he took a degree
in History. He joined Peter Black in 1965 and became Chairman in
1977. Peter Black Holdings was a major supplier of footwear,
toiletries, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and logistics to the UK's
leading retailers, with annual sales of 300 million pounds and
around 3,000 employees. It was a plc for 25 years and was then
taken private in 2000. The remaining companies were sold to Li &
Fung, a Hong Kong-based global trading company, in 2007.
Gordon Black now runs Black Family Investments with his brother
Thomas, and was awarded a CBE in 2005 for services to business and
charity. He is married to Louise, with three children and nine
grandchildren, and lives in Ilkley, Yorkshire.
From Bags to Blenders is also littered with amusing anecdotes
reflecting Gordon's belief that business should be fun as well as
profitable.
*Ilkley Gazette*
Theirs is a classic rags-to-riches story
*The Jewish Chronicle*
An entertaining and amusing read that is peppered with plenty of
serious points to provide helpful hints to anyone running a
business.
*John Timpson*
I do get books sent to me from time to time and rarely read them,
but in your case I actually picked it up and didn't put it down
until I'd finished it!
*Julian Richer*
It is both a fascinating personal story and a gold-mine of
practical advice on good business practice.
*Professor Tony Badger*
A succinct exposition of the fundamentals of business success in
fulfilling the ever-changing demands of the retail market. It is
written by a man of huge experience, and one gifted with insight
and warmth of personality.
*Sir Harry Ognall*
Besides the light hearted anecdotes it illustrates very well in
practical terms the differences in management style needed for a
public versus a private company. Perhaps it should be an essential
text book case study for any business school?
*Barrie Martin*
A jaunty little memoir in the bullet-point style of a memo from the
chairman's desk by Gordon Black, whose family business prospered as
a footwear manufacturer for Marks & Spencer in the era when the
high-street chain nurtured suppliers, took care of staff, pleased
customers and made its founding dynasty rich without stirring
resentment. That really was a benign model of capitalism: what a
shame it has gone completely out of fashion.
*The Spectator*
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