Philip Green, the owner of Bhs and the Arcadia Group, is known for many things - his pugnacious manner, colourful language and love of practical jokes. But a record ?1.2bn pay cheque last month and his dogged pursuit of Marks and Spencer last year have made him one of the UK?s highest profile businessmen.
His success at squeezing profits from Arcadia and Bhs plus his notoriously hands-on approach and detailed knowledge of every product line have established Green, who hails from Croydon and left school with no qualifications, as the most successful retailer of his generation.
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But Green believes his progress through the industry, from his first job working for a shoe importer in north London, is now rare. ?The number of qualified people, senior people, who actually understand buying, selling, cost of product, know where to make it and what to do is becoming smaller,? says Green in an exclusive video interview on FT.com.
This prompted Green to launch a business-sponsored Fashion Retail Academy which emphasises practical experience in the workplace.
Green?s top tips for entrepreneurs:
? ?You?ve got to be prepared...to get yourself engaged. So that might mean sacrificing a few nights out with your mates.?
? ?I?m not a fan big university fan....I don?t care which bit of paper they turn up with, have they got any common sense??
? ?If you walked around this building you?ll find a load of passionate people who actually like what they do, care about what they do, eat it, sleep it...You?ve got to love it. If you don?t love it, I think it?s really hard to succeed.?
? ?I?ve taken the strategy to stick to one subject....I don?t dance around. I don?t invest in things that are not directly related to what we do.?
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