Deborah Meaden - Dragon’s Den Special November 21

Filed under Entrepreneur Hotlist by Seriously Business | 1 comment

Deborah Meaden EntrepreneurMini CV

- Studied at business college and set up glass and ceramics export company after leaving
- Started one of the UK’s first Stefanel franchises.
- Managed family’s holiday mark business, Weststar Holidays, before selling it for £33 million
- Appears on Dragon’s Den in order to identify new investment opportunities

Deborah Meaden is a British millionairess and appears as one of the straight-talking Dragon in BBC television series Dragon’s Den.

Having left school after her O-Levels, Meaden studied at business college and after graduation moved to Italy.

The young businesswoman worked as a sales room model in a fashion house for a few months before setting up her own glass and ceramics export company, supplying upmarket stores like Harvey Nichols.

She went on to set up one of the first Stefanel fashion franchises in Britain, and briefly ran a prize bingo concern at Butlins, before joining her family�s holiday park business Weststar Holidays.

Meaden made a success of working for the company and acquired the major shareholding in a £10 million management buyout, with debt funding from Lloyds, when her parents announced their retirement, having built up the business themselves from nothing.

The entrepreneur took over as chief executive and managing director of Weststar in 1999, changing its name to the Generations Group and doubling its profits.

She later sold the majority of the business for £33 million to Phoenix Equity Partners, though she chose to retain a 23 per cent stake and an active role within the firm. The company owns a number of four-star holiday parks, largely targeted at families.

The 47-year-old joined BBC Two’s Dragon’s Den for the third series in 2006, offering potential entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their ideas to her for investment.

With her blonde bob and sharp suits, she cuts an imposing figure on screen and does not suffer fools gladly.

It is Meaden’s strength and straightforward attitude that has stood her in good stead in the business world and she is known to be firm but fair with her staff.

She is now keen to find new opportunities for investment, having already started with a new market research company and agreed to invest in four businesses alongside the other dragons in series three of Dragon’s Den.

On joining Dragon’s Den, she said: “It can be difficult to find investment for a new business, particularly one which is highly innovative or breaks new ground. Dragon’s Den offers a great opportunity to new entrepreneurs and I’m really looking to finding some exciting new businesses in which to invest my money.”

Meaden is married, has no children and lives with her husband. She was listed as one of the Top 50 Female Entrepreneurs in the UK last year.

Article Written Exclusively by AdFero for Seriously Business

 Social bookmark this page

Related articles

1 comment

  1. Paul Tallan Nov 24

    Would like to know when Deborah Meadens web page on Dragons Den site will be open again for innovative ideas as I feel I have one that will make her sit up and take notice. Would like to contact Deborah via email personally if possible.
    Thank you for your time, Paul Tallan.

Leave a reply