Arthur Ryan

Early life

Arthur Ryan was born the son of a Cork-born insurance clerk in 1930 and went to the Christian Brothers School on Synge Street. After emigrating to London, he entered the genteel world of gentlemen's tailoring as a tie buyer at Swan & Edgar. He also worked for London fashion wholesaler Carr & McDonald. From there it was back to Dublin, and a job at Dunnes Stores in Cornelscourt.

He is currently married to former entertainer Alma Carroll and also has a daughter. He is an intensely private man, living in one of Dublin's best-protected houses, he never gives interviews and is rarely seen in public without bodyguards. His great fear is kidnap – a real enough threat for Irish retail magnates during The Troubles. In 1981, the IRA snatched department store boss Ben Dunne; two years later, they tried to kidnap Galen Weston, scion of the Canadian family behind Primark's owner, food and retail conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF). Ryan still takes no chances. "His daily schedule is kept secret from all but his closest aides."

Career

He opened the first Penneys shop on Mary Street in Dublin in 1969. Subsequently, in 1974, he took the model to Britain – renaming the stores Primark to avoid legal problems with US chain JC Penney. The major turnaround came in 2005, when Primark acquired a huge portfolio of Littlewoods stores. Meanwhile, close attention to catwalk trends made it chic as well as cheap. It went from being the "shop that nobody admitted going to" to a Mecca for celebrity shoppers. It was "Primani", darling – or "Pradamark". It now accounts for over a third of ABF's operating profits. In 2009, Ryan gave up his day-to-day control of the firm as chief executive, but became Chairman instead.