Gloucestershire’s 50 Leading Entrepreneurs - September 2019

Entrepreneurs

GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S

Ben and JoshWhite founders of Message Labs Cheltenham the sale of their former business, Gloucestershire-based Message Labs, to create a "new UK-focused technology venture capital fund" called Notion Capital, into which they planned to sink £20m. The brothers were “highly respected in the industry for the creation of Messagelabs”, the online messaging security group they sold in 2008 to Symantec for £397m. Perhaps little known is that BenWhite began his career selling life insurance. He also founded RBR Networks, a Cisco supplier that expanded to become the US company's largest European distributor. It was sold to Datatec in 1998 for £45 million. The duo then set up Star Internet, which grew to become one of the largest internet service providers. Message Labs was formed in 1999 to complement Star. The latter expanded into one of the world's largest messaging security groups, ahead of competitors such as Google and Microsoft at the time l 13 Described by the FT in 2008 as "technology entrepreneur brothers". The story at the time covered how they were planning to use part of the £100 million they received from

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The Gillman family Gillman Electrical Group Ltd Gloucester “What you see it what you get,” said one of the judges, meaning it as a huge compliment.

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Roger Head Gloucester Gloucester born and bred, Mr

He was talking about Gillman’s, the independent family electrical retail business - and then some. This year Gillman Electrical Group celebrated 50 years in business. The highly respected and successful company has its shop front in St Oswald's Way, Gloucester, and deals with all the top brands you could list. And then there are its other business interests - Montpellier, its Tewkesbury headquartered brand of up- market refrigeration, laundry, dishwashing and cooking home appliances - and neighbouring DAD distribution operation. Too many key family members to single out an individual for the purposes of these pages. Started in 1969 by John and Erika Patricia Gillman, originally as a service and repair company. Robert, the eldest of their three children joined the company in 1970 followed by his sister Annabelle and brother

Head went to Central Technology College and served an apprenticeship at a Jaguar agents in Gloucester, before beginning a business career which has

spanned more than 40 years. His main interests have been commercial property and telecommunications, but he also found time to serve on the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Board, a key catalyst in the redevelopment of the city’s Docks and Quays, and led the much-loved The Pied Piper Appeal for 10 years, as well as serving as a trustee. He is also well known for restoring Highnam Court and its gardens, using it to host the now annual Gloucestershire Motor Show – which raises thousands of pounds for the Pied Piper Appeal l

Adrian. It is this trio who are the modern day architects, owners and directors of a of a multi-million pound business company, which employs an estimated 150 staff l

“It is the personal relationships alongside the quality, experience and enthusiasm of our staff that sets us apart.”

26 | September 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com

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