Entrepreneurs Forum

16th March 2010 - From Bricks to Clicks - Members-only focus dinner with Mike Tomkins, Chairman of online fashion and sports retailer M and M Direct

From Bricks to Clicks - Members-only focus dinner with Mike Tomkins, Chairman of online fashion and sports retailer M and M Direct

We invite you to join us at this exclusive dinner for an evening of open discussion and inspiration, as sportswear retail entrepreneur Mike Tomkins shares his highs and lows of the sporting goods jungle.

Relevant to entrepreneurs across all sectors, Mike’s success story will offer our guests many new tips and ideas which can be translated into your own business. Indeed, the insight, knowledge and anecdotes shared within your peer group under Chatham House rules of confidentiality will allow you to think and focus in a different way, leaving you impatient to return to work.

This is a real story of resilience; a tale of surviving through floods, overcoming challenges, dealing with VC’s, leading a management buyout, rebranding and prospering through both recession and postal strikes – all under Mike's leadership.

During his successful career - first as an employee in the sports industry and later as a risk-taking entrepreneur - Mike has overseen the metamorphosis of the business he bought from a discount sportswear catalogue retailer into one of the UK’s most successful fashion e-tailers. A fact underlined by the company’s 20% year-on-year growth under his guidance.

Mike has a proven record in building successful teams through strong leadership, integrity, enthusiasm and motivation – competences and values that he is passionate about, and will draw upon during the dinner.

The evening will be introduced and facilitated by Dave Charlton, CEO of The Officers Club.

Dinner places are strictly limited to a first-come, first-served basis we therefore recommend you don’t delay in securing your place with us.

More about Mike....A former national junior ranked athlete in middle distances, as a young man, Mike’s finest achievement was a bronze medal win in the AAA National Junior 3,000 metres Championship in 1977.

Educated at Roan Grammar School for Boys, London; University of Sussex and Arizona State University, USA, Mike had a brief spell in teaching before entering the sports industry. He became a sales representative for Arena UK, responsible for London and the South East of England. After just six months in the role, Mike had established himself as the No. 1 salesperson in the company in terms of both revenues and market share penetration.

Mike launched the Saucony brand of athletic footwear in 1986 and the Frank Shorter brand of apparel in 1989 to the UK sports market. Both brands grew very quickly and achieved significant market share in their respective sectors. He was responsible for the signing of fellow Brighton lad Steve Ovett to endorse the Saucony product line globally in 1987.

Mike joined New Balance Athletic Shoes, the World’s largest privately owned athletic footwear company in 1994, originally as UK Sales Manager. He was promoted to Area Manager UK with the additional responsibility of managing the European distributors in 1995. In late 1996 he became responsible for the entire European operation and sat on the Corporate Advisory Board in Boston, USA.

During Mike’s tenure at the company losses were turned into profits and European revenues increased threefold. In Mike’s last year in 1999, European profits were the highest in the company’s history.

Mike left New Balance in 1999 to set up a specialist international sports consultancy, working for a number of Global brands, creating significant profitable gains for many of these organisations.

In July 2004, Mike led the buyout of M and M Sports in partnership with ECI Partners LLP supported by Barclays Bank Plc. Under Mike, as CEO, M and M Sports rebranded to become M and M Direct. Since then the business has experienced huge growth under Mike’s leadership. They are now the largest and most successful mail order/internet company selling discounted sports and fashion products in Europe.

Most recently, the company was sold to TA Associates in October 2007 and over £60 million of shareholder value was created in just over three years. The company was ranked 2nd in the 2008 Buyout Track 100 in association with the Sunday Times. (source – Sunday Times 17th February 2008).

Mike remains a Non Executive Chairman and significant private investor with M and M Direct. He is acknowledged as a key player within the global sporting goods and fashion industry.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm therefore guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

If you would like further information about any of our events, please call us on 0870 850 2233

Venue: Fisherman’s Lodge, Newcastle
Time: 6.30pm – 9.30pm

 

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