Years active 1997–present Name Richard Alvin | Alma mater London | |
 | ||
Full Name Richard Andrew Alvin Born 23 February 1975 (age 49) ( 1975-02-23 ) Blackheath, London Occupation Company Director, author, journalist, broadcaster Title Freeman of the City of London
Fellow of the The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce ( RSA) Royal_Society_of_Arts | ||
Richard Andrew Alvin FRSA (born 23 February 1975 in Greenwich, South East London) is a prominent business leader in London.
Contents
- Business
- Awards and commendations
- Television Media Appearances
- Philanthropic and local community work
- References
Alvin was educated at Davenant Foundation School, Loughton, Essex, and later London Guildhall University, where he was the youngest candidate to complete the Advertising & Marketing trade qualifications set by the CAM Foundation.
Business
Alvin started his career at the London Docklands Development Corporation, the UK Governments' urban development corporation to oversee the regeneration of 17 square miles of deserted former inner city Docks. Following the completion of the LDDC's regeneration remit he bought Docklands News, which was then the largest single edition local newspaper in the UK with a claimed readership figure of 147,000 copies every issue when distributed and later, after increasing the frequency to weekly, added a sister title City & Islington News to serve the City of London. Alvin went on to purchase an interest in Life Publishing.
Upon the sale of the previous companies Alvin created Audere Capital in 2006 which has gone on to invest £1.8M in media and fashion companies Its initial acquisition and investment was in Capital Business Media which purchased Business Matters a then struggling business magazine, which in 2012 became the UK's largest business title and was the official business magazine to Team 2012, the Visa sponsored element of London2012
Seven years after it was formed Alvin founded and invested in a number of new start and emerging companies and in July 2013, under Alvin's direction, Audere Capital invested in the Welsh PR company Cake Communications seeing him join the board as executive director.
Awards and commendations
He was made a Freeman of the City of London in May 2010 for services for entrepreneurship
He has been awarded fellowship to the Royal Society of the Arts & Commerce.
Alvin was also cited as a Highly Commended Business Person of The Year in 2012 by the Dockland's Business Club & East London Chamber of Commerce, a division of the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Alvin was named Business Person of The Year in 2013 by the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Dockland's Business Club.
In February 2016 Alvin was named in the definitive list of 100 of Britain’s most successful philanthropists, investors, mentors and advisors compiled by Maserati and the Centre for Entrepreneurs the 'Maserati100'
Television & Media Appearances
Alvin joined UK entrepreneur Peter Jones as an advisor in the US TV show Save Our Business
Alvin is regularly called upon as a commentator on business related matters by UK national media and also served as an advisor to Mary Portas & Channel4 as they sought to "reinvigorate the British High Street".
Philanthropic and local community work
Alvin was a member of the Docklands Business Club from 1999 to 2005, serving as the organisations' Vice Chairman and then in 2001, at 26, he was the youngest member of the council of the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Alvin is also an advisor to new start businesses and is an ambassador of the UK Government backed StartUp Britain campaign for the London Docklands & Canary Wharf area
Alvin has a keen interest in local issues in Chigwell, Essex and was elected to the Chigwell Parish Council in 2008 serving as the council Vice Chairman in 2011-12 and 2014-15 & Chairman 2012-13 and 2015 -. He has also served as Chairman of the area Planning Committee since 2010. He was also governor of Chigwell Row Infant School 2006-2007 & Chairman of Governors 2008–10. He was also governor of the secondary school, West Hatch School, in Chigwell from 2010−12 overseeing the schools transition from local authority to Academy Status. He is currently a governor of, the secondary school he attended in Loughton, Essex, Davenant Foundation School.