TERENCE CONRAN

The founder and chairman of London-based design company Conran Holdings Ltd. Terence Conran was born in London in 1931 and attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts from 1949 to 1950. He began his career as a textile designer with Rayon Centre in 1950 before starting a furniture-making company in 1952. His successive business ventures have included a restaurant, a design group and Habitat furniture and housewares stores.

Habitat would later be purchased by Ikea. In 1982 Conran co founded an architectural and city planning business, and in 1990 he created a design consultancy. These two companies became Conran Holdings. Conran Holdings also owns bars, restaurants, stores and hotels. Its subsidiaries include The Conran Shop, Conran Contracts, Studio Conran, Conran & Partners, Conran & Company and D&D London Restaurants.