Belinda Earl
Encyclopedia
Belinda Earl is businesswoman and current chief executive
of Jaeger clothing line.
She was born in Plymouth and attended St Dunstan's Abbey School for Girls. She started working as a Saturday girl in the menswear department of her local Debenhams
at the age of 16 before managing a gift shop and moving on to study economics and business at Aberystwyth University.
After graduating in 1983 she turned down an offer to join a firm of accountants to pursue her love of retail and fashion by working as a graduate trainee in the womenswear department of Harrods
. In 1985 she left Harrods to become a menswear merchandiser at Debenhams
. She took on a number of increasingly senior positions within Debenham
s before being appointed a company director in 1991. She was appointed trading director in 1997 before eventually joining the board in 1999.
Earl challenged the traditional treatment of women in senior management. by taking maternity leave in 1997 to have her first child. After returning to work, Belinda became instrumental in persuading recognised designers such as Jasper Conran
to create exclusive ranges for the department store.
After her mentor Terry Green resigned in December 2000 she became Chief Executive
at Debenhams
. During her administration the company did well despite an unfavourable economic climate. She become the first chief executive
of a listed company to take maternity leave with the birth of her second son in 2001. Her six weeks' absence made headlines as it was considered to be a long time for a chief executive to take off work.
Earl left Debenhams
in 2003. Her failure to secure a buyout of Debenhams
thorough Permira
(Debenhams was eventually bought for £1.7 billion by a rival private consortium) prompted her departure with a £3.6 million payoff (which rose to £4million once her shares had been cashed in).
Harold Tillman
, a retail entrepreneur, had bought Jaeger in 2002 and had inherited a brand in decline. Earl was initially approached in 2004 and was eventually persuaded to become Chief Executive
with a 20% stake in the company (with Tillman retaining the majority 70% share).
Earl lives near Oxted
in Surrey
with her husband David, a lawyer, and two sons, Ben and James. She is a patron of Skillsmart, a retail-sector skills council, a fellow of the City & Guilds Institute and of the University of Wales
.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Jaeger clothing line.
She was born in Plymouth and attended St Dunstan's Abbey School for Girls. She started working as a Saturday girl in the menswear department of her local Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
at the age of 16 before managing a gift shop and moving on to study economics and business at Aberystwyth University.
After graduating in 1983 she turned down an offer to join a firm of accountants to pursue her love of retail and fashion by working as a graduate trainee in the womenswear department of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
. In 1985 she left Harrods to become a menswear merchandiser at Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
. She took on a number of increasingly senior positions within Debenham
Debenham
Debenham is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in Eastern England. In the 2001 census the population recorded was 1,728...
s before being appointed a company director in 1991. She was appointed trading director in 1997 before eventually joining the board in 1999.
Earl challenged the traditional treatment of women in senior management. by taking maternity leave in 1997 to have her first child. After returning to work, Belinda became instrumental in persuading recognised designers such as Jasper Conran
Jasper Conran
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE is an English fashion designer. He is the son of the designer Sir Terence Conran and the author Shirley Conran.-Education:He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s...
to create exclusive ranges for the department store.
After her mentor Terry Green resigned in December 2000 she became Chief Executive
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
at Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
. During her administration the company did well despite an unfavourable economic climate. She become the first chief executive
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of a listed company to take maternity leave with the birth of her second son in 2001. Her six weeks' absence made headlines as it was considered to be a long time for a chief executive to take off work.
Earl left Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
in 2003. Her failure to secure a buyout of Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
thorough Permira
Permira
Permira is a United Kingdom-based private equity firm with global reach. The firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately €20 billion....
(Debenhams was eventually bought for £1.7 billion by a rival private consortium) prompted her departure with a £3.6 million payoff (which rose to £4million once her shares had been cashed in).
Harold Tillman
Harold Tillman
Harold Peter Tillman CBE is a British retail entrepreneur and investor. His current investments include Jaeger and Aquascutum.-Early life:Tillman was born into a Jewish family living in Brixton Hill, the only child of a Yorkshire-born tailor father who trained at Montagu Burton, and milliner mother...
, a retail entrepreneur, had bought Jaeger in 2002 and had inherited a brand in decline. Earl was initially approached in 2004 and was eventually persuaded to become Chief Executive
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
with a 20% stake in the company (with Tillman retaining the majority 70% share).
Earl lives near Oxted
Oxted
Oxted is a commuter town in Surrey, England at the foot of the North Downs, north of East Grinstead and south-east of Croydon.- History :The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
with her husband David, a lawyer, and two sons, Ben and James. She is a patron of Skillsmart, a retail-sector skills council, a fellow of the City & Guilds Institute and of the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
.