Nationality British Term 1978-1991 | ||
Full Name Ralph Mark Halpern Born October 1938 (age 78) Austria Occupation former CEO, Burton Group Spouse(s) Two, including Laura Blume | ||
Sir Ralph Mark Halpern (born October 1938) is an Austrian-born British businessman, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Burton Group, and the founder of Topshop.
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Early life
Ralph Halpern was born in October 1938. He was born in Austria, and emigrated to England with his Jewish parents fled from the Nazis in the 1930s, losing their fortune.
Career
Halpern joined Burton Group as a management trainee in 1961, rising to chief executive in 1978. He turned it into a retail empire that dominated the British high street, with 2,800 stores and employing more than 60,000 people. With brands including Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Debenhams, Principles, Racing Green and Evans, it was worth £1.8bn when Halpern was ousted by the board in 1991. Halpern founded Top Shop.
Personal life
Halpern was linked by the British tabloids to the teenage model Fiona Wright, leading to a "five times a night" headline.
In 2000, Halpern became a father, aged 61, with his second wife, Laura Blume.