Draft:Neil Clifford
Submission declined on 30 July 2026 by Thilsebatti (talk).
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Submission declined on 22 May 2026 by Devonian Wombat (talk). This draft reads like an advertisement. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a platform for promotion or marketing. Drafts that are exclusively promotional may be deleted without notice.
Declined by Devonian Wombat 2 months ago.Wikipedia articles must be written neutrally in a formal, impersonal, and dispassionate way. They should not read like a blog post, advertisement, or fan page. Rewrite the draft to remove:
Instead, only summarize in your own words a range of independent, reliable, published sources that discuss the subject. If you have a conflict of interest (e.g. you are the subject, an employee, or a relative) or are being paid to edit, you must disclose this to comply with Wikipedia's Terms of Use. | |
Neil Clifford | |
|---|---|
 Clifford presenting at Bicester Motion in 2026 | |
| Born | Neil Charles Clifford February 1967 (aged 59) |
| Known for | CEO of Kurt Geiger |
| Spouse | 1 |
| Children | 3 |
Neil Charles Clifford OBE (born February 1967) is an English businessman and since 2003 chief executive of Kurt Geiger.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Neil Charles Clifford was born in February 1967, the youngest of three brothers.[2] His father, a gas fitter, died when Clifford was four. His mother raised him and his brothers in Portsmouth.[2] Clifford attended Mayfield Comprehensive School, where he left in 1983 with only a C-grade in O-level in art.[3][2][4][5]
Career
[edit]In August 1983 after leaving school, Clifford took up a job in the parts department of a Fiat car dealership, found at a job centre as part of the Youth Training Scheme.[5] Alongside this, he cleaned bathrooms and worked at a local funfair.[2][5] Clifford left his position at the Fiat car dealership to work for a hardware store, delivering paraffin.[2] He left this to work for Burton at a local branch of Debenhams, after obtaining an interview through a friend.[5] Clifford moved to London in 1986 following advice from Sir Ralph Halpern (then chief executive of Burton), to pursue a career in the fashion industry.[2][5]
Clifford worked for Halpern until 1993, by which time he was head of merchandising for Burton.[2] In 1995 or 1996, Clifford began working for Kurt Geiger, becoming chief executive of the company in 2003, following persuasion from the Fayed family, who owned Kurt Geiger at the time.[2]
Under Clifford as chief executive, Kurt Geiger has been sold twice, most recently in 2011 to to Jones Group for £215m.[6] Clifford retained his position as chief executive after the sale, as well as his stake in the company.[6] Clifford also developed Kurt Geiger online, and founded the Kurt Geiger Business by Design scheme, a paid training scheme which is skills-focussed and not based on degree requirements.[3]
On 1 April 2015 Clifford was one of 103 businesspeople who wrote to The Telegraph praising the British Conservative Party's economic policies.[7]
In the 2026 Birthday Honours, Clifford was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Fashion.[1]
Personal life
[edit]
As of 2015, Clifford lived in Buckinghamshire with his wife and three children.[2] Clifford is a car enthusiast and member of the weekly Chris Harris Car Podcast.[2][8] Clifford has owned a large and varied collection of cars, including a Bristol Fighter which he bought in July 2008, one of around 13 such models ever built.[2] In the 2010s, Clifford funded kitchen and outdoor areas for Mayfield Comprehensive School where he took his O-levels.[2] Clifford is dyslexic.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "No. 65091". The London Gazette. 13 June 2026. p. B11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Blackhurst, Chris (13 February 2015). "Neil Clifford: Kurt Geiger boss and 'Master of Nothing' found that selling luxury shoes fitted him perfectly". The Standard. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ a b Tobin, Lucy (10 May 2025). "No degree? No problem. Why employers are choosing non-graduates". The Times. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ "Big Boss Interview – #21 Kurt Geiger CEO: Education System Isn't Fit For Purpose". BBC Sounds. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Royle, Orianna Rosa (28 August 2024). "Luxury footwear CEO failed almost all his exams—now he runs $432m empire Kurt Geiger". Fortune. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ a b Bawden, Tom; Wood, Zoe (2 June 2011). "Kurt Geiger sale to Jones Group means £20m windfall for shoe chain managers". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ Dominiczak, Peter (1 April 2015). "100 business chiefs: Labour threatens Britain's recovery". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ Sharp, Christopher (25 April 2025). "Multi-millionaire car fanatic 'never knew' feature of his 'favourite' car". The Mirror. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
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