Bruce Craig
Encyclopedia
Bruce Craig is a businessman and entrepreneur
. On 14 April 2010, Bruce Craig bought Bath Rugby
from Andrew Brownsword
.
grammar school
in Bristol, which later became St. Brendan's Sixth Form College
. Craig developed a passion for rugby
, and captained the 1st XV before becoming a final England trialist at U19 level. Misfortune struck one week before the final trial when Craig broke his leg.
Craig studied Physical Education
, Sports Science
and Management at Loughborough University
, before moving to France
in 1987. He continued his rugby career in the 1st XV as a scrum half for Racing Club de France, one of the predecessor clubs to today's Racing Métro, from 1987- 1993.
, a service provider for large pharmaceutical companies and global central laboratories. The business transports clinical trial
medication and repatriates blood samples to central laboratories. The service expanded rapidly during the 1990s and developed into a significant global player in this sector.
In 2006 Craig led his first management buy-out of the company with 3i
, buying into the business. He subsequently led a secondary buy-out of Marken with ICG in 2007, a deal that gave management a majority shareholding in the group. In January 2010 the company was acquired by Apax Partners
at an estimated value of £975m.
together with a 99-year lease on Farleigh House
to serve as the Club's administrative headquarters and training centre, saying, “Bath Rugby is one of the Elite clubs in Europe with huge heritage and significant past honours to its name. With a city like Bath as the backdrop and the incredibly passionate staff and supporters, I hope to be able to use my business experience and passion for rugby to help take Bath Rugby to another level in the professional game.”
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. On 14 April 2010, Bruce Craig bought Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
from Andrew Brownsword
Andrew Brownsword
Andrew Douglas Brownsword , is an English entrepreneur, developing his fortune through the greeting cards and gifts of Forever Friends. He has regularly featured on the Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated fortune of £190 million....
.
Early life
Bruce Craig was educated at St Brendan’sSt. Brendan's Sixth Form College
St. Brendan's is a post-16 educational institution located in Bristol, England. It has a strong rugby union heritage.-History:Saint Brendan's was founded by the Irish Christian Brothers as a Catholic school for boys in 1896 in Berkeley Square in Bristol. During the first fifty years of its...
grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Bristol, which later became St. Brendan's Sixth Form College
St. Brendan's Sixth Form College
St. Brendan's is a post-16 educational institution located in Bristol, England. It has a strong rugby union heritage.-History:Saint Brendan's was founded by the Irish Christian Brothers as a Catholic school for boys in 1896 in Berkeley Square in Bristol. During the first fifty years of its...
. Craig developed a passion for rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, and captained the 1st XV before becoming a final England trialist at U19 level. Misfortune struck one week before the final trial when Craig broke his leg.
Craig studied Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, Sports Science
Sports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
and Management at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, before moving to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1987. He continued his rugby career in the 1st XV as a scrum half for Racing Club de France, one of the predecessor clubs to today's Racing Métro, from 1987- 1993.
Business career
Craig co-founded MarkenMarken
Marken is a peninsula in the IJsselmeer, the Netherlands, located in the municipality Waterland in the province North Holland. It is an island, which nowadays is connected to the North Holland mainland by a causeway. Also, Marken is a well-known tourist attraction, well-known for its characteristic...
, a service provider for large pharmaceutical companies and global central laboratories. The business transports clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
medication and repatriates blood samples to central laboratories. The service expanded rapidly during the 1990s and developed into a significant global player in this sector.
In 2006 Craig led his first management buy-out of the company with 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
, buying into the business. He subsequently led a secondary buy-out of Marken with ICG in 2007, a deal that gave management a majority shareholding in the group. In January 2010 the company was acquired by Apax Partners
Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised...
at an estimated value of £975m.
Bath Rugby
In 2010 Craig acquired Bath RugbyBath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
together with a 99-year lease on Farleigh House
Farleigh House
Farleigh House is a large country house in the English county of Somerset that was formerly the centre of the Farleigh Hungerford estate, and much of the stone came from Farleigh Hungerford Castle.The house is a Grade II listed building....
to serve as the Club's administrative headquarters and training centre, saying, “Bath Rugby is one of the Elite clubs in Europe with huge heritage and significant past honours to its name. With a city like Bath as the backdrop and the incredibly passionate staff and supporters, I hope to be able to use my business experience and passion for rugby to help take Bath Rugby to another level in the professional game.”