Sir John Timpson announced as FBUK Conference Keynote 2025

Family Business UK’s Annual Conference for 2025 – The Family Business Recipe – is now open for registrations.

Taking place in Manchester from the 4th to 6th June 2025, the Conference will focus on how family businesses can harness values and principles to help create and sustain competitive advantage.

The purpose and values of a family business, like the ingredients in an old family recipe, are inherited; passed from the kitchen table to the boardroom table over generations.

Reinterpreted by successive generations, these essential ingredients determine the culture of each family business and are what helps give each one it’s unique flavour and characteristics.

But how well do you make the most of those precious ingredients, and use them to create a competitive advantage and a leading position in the market?

Announcing our Opening Keynote 

Sir John Timpson CBE of Timpson will give us a unique perspective on his sense of responsibility, as a successful family business, which drives the implementation of purpose as a business; why it is important, how it sets the business apart from others and how family businesses can embed their values into the operational running of the business.

Sir John was born in Manchester in 1943, he joined the family footwear business William Timpson Limited, becoming the Director in 1970.

After a boardroom split that ousted his father, and following the acquisition of the company by the UDS Group in 1973, he became Managing Director of leather and fur retailers, Swears & Wells Limited. In 1975, John was appointed Managing Director of William Timpson his original family business.

In 1983, he led a £42m management buyout of the company which had become part of the Hanson Trust. It was the UK’s largest MBO at the time.

In 1987, he sold the shoe shops to rival retailer George Oliver to concentrate on developing the shoe repairing and key cutting business. The company has diversified into engraving, watch and mobile phone repairs, dry cleaning and photo processing.

Take part in the Annual Conference 2025

Join 200+ family business owners, leaders, execs & non-execs, their next gen, peers and supporters, at the Family Business UK Annual Conference 2025, to discover how the vital ingredients of purpose and values can help sustain a successful family business.

Early-bird rates available until 31st December 2024.

Register for Conference today here.