Stephen’s business journey started in the High Street at age 15 and took him to Regent Street, via the Tower of London, to Buckingham Palace by age 30. A combination of luck, curiosity and thinking differently enabled his contribution to the cultural retail revolution of the early 1990s.

Since then Stephen has worked with, studied, learned from, and helped some of the brightest stars and most prestigious brands in the retail, leisure, and tourism sectors. His journey features milestones such as creating the Buckingham Palace Shop, launching London’s cable car, revitalising a confectionery-themed visitor attraction, and turning a national conservation charity inside-out, from property- to customer-focus.

Stephen has been a Trustee of Abbotsford, the former home of Sir Walter Scott, and now a five star-rated visitor attraction (2016-2023), and a visitor attractions quality assessor for Visit England (2018-2023). He chairs the new Advisory Board that is shaping the future of Spring Fair and Autumn Fair, and is a Judge for the Gift of the Year Awards. Stephen keeps his optimism muscle in shape by supporting Tottenham Hotspur.