{{short description|British co-founder and former chairman (born 1964)}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person |honorific_prefix= Sir |name= Charles Dunstone |honorific_suffix= {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} |image= Charles_Dunstone.jpg |caption= Dunstone pictured in 2005. |birth_name= Charles William Dunstone |birth_date= {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|11|21}} |birth_place= Saffron Walden, Essex, England |death_date= |death_place= |years_active= 1989–present |occupation= Executive Chairman, TalkTalk Group |title= |spouse= {{marriage|Celia Gordon Shute|2009}} |children= 3 }} '''Sir Charles William Dunstone''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|n|s|t|ə|n}} {{Respell|DUN|stən}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4dapFQWfpY|title=Apps for Good Founder Talks - Charles Dunstone, Carphone Warehouse and TalkTalk|work=YouTube|date=August 23, 2013|accessdate=2 November 2023}}</ref> born 21 November 1964<ref name=dialm />) is the British co-founder and former chairman of mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse, former chairman of multinational electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company Dixons Carphone (formed on 7 August 2014 by the merger of Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse), and executive chairman of the TalkTalk Group.
==Early life== Dunstone was born in 1964, in the town of Saffron Walden in Essex. Dunstone was educated at Uppingham School, an independent school for boys (now co-educational), in the market town of Uppingham in Rutland, in Central England. Dunstone's father was an executive at BP.<ref name="AD"/>
==Business==
===Carphone Warehouse=== {{main article|Carphone Warehouse}} In 1983, having accepted an offer to study business at the University of Liverpool, Dunstone decided to defer his studies for a year and accept a sales job at Torch Computers in Cambridge. After a year, he decided to continue at Torch instead of pursuing his studies, eventually leaving for a sales position at NEC in 1986.<ref name="pederson2007"/>
It was whilst working at NEC, tasked initially with selling computers and then mobile phones, that he first spotted the potential of mobile phones and the future of mobile communications. At that time, handsets were large, cumbersome and mainly purchased by big business and large organisations. Corporate clients were well catered for but small businesses, the self-employed and the general public had nowhere to go. Dunstone realised that mobile phones would eventually become ubiquitous and left NEC in 1989 to start his own business serving this larger market.<ref name="pederson2007"/>
Naming his company The Carphone Warehouse (CPW), emphasising a broad choice of products and low prices, Dunstone first began selling mobile phones out of his flat on Marylebone Road in 1989. He was 25 years old and had £6,000 of savings to start his business.<ref name="pederson2007">{{ cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/internationaldir0000unse_o0s2/page/55/mode/1up | title=International Directory of Company Histories | publisher=Thomson Gale | last1=Pederson | first1=Jay P. | volume=83 | date=2007 | access-date=28 February 2024 | isbn=978-1-55862-587-7 | pages=55 }}</ref>
In July 2000, the company floated on the London Stock Exchange and based on an Issue price of 200p, the company was valued at approximately £1.7 billion.
In 2003 Carphone Warehouse established a subsidiary TalkTalk, from the assets acquired through the purchase of Opal Telecom in 2002. TalkTalk provided home phone and broadband into the UK market. TalkTalk aggressive pricing was disruptive to the market and grew its customer base rapidly. Growth was also through acquisition, purchasing one.tel, AOL, Tele2 and lastly the Tiscali ISP businesses in the UK, this led to the demerger of TalkTalk as a separate business in March 2010.
In December 2019, Dunstone purchased £10 million worth of shares in TalkTalk, meaning he now owns 29.5% of the company's stock.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Charkham|first1=Jonathan|title=The Development of the Joint Stock Company|date=1999-05-27|work=Fair Shares|pages=44–50|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-829214-2|last2=Simpson|first2=Anne|doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198292142.003.0005}}</ref>
In May 2008, Best Buy, an American multinational consumer electronics corporation, and CPW agreed to create a new company, Best Buy Europe. Best Buy acquired 50% of CPW's European and US retail interests for a cash consideration of £1.1 billion or $2.1 billion. The assets of the newly formed company comprise CPW's existing retail business, operating from more than 2,400 stores in nine European countries under CPW and Phone House brands. These include the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. CPW became the world's largest independent mobile communications retailer, but may now have lost this position.
In 2005 Dunstone's salary and bonus came to £689,000.<ref name="AR2005"> {{cite press release | title = Annual Report 2005 | publisher = The Carphone Warehouse | year = 2005 | url = http://www.cpwplc.com/cpw/ir/reports/annrep05/annrep05full.pdf | accessdate = 4 November 2006 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} </ref> In the Sunday Times Rich List 2006 he was listed in 64th place, with an estimated fortune of £830 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/richlist/person/0,,43062,00.html|title=Sunday Times – Rich List|work=Sunday Times|accessdate=10 May 2011}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
Dunstone employed the controversial ex-convict Ernest Saunders as a business consultant for Carphone Warehouse prior to its flotation.<ref>{{cite news | title = Mobiles boss walks the polar walk and proves he is not all TalkTalk | newspaper = The Times | date = 29 November 2004 | url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1379301_1,00.html | access-date = 3 November 2006 | location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} </ref>
===HBOS=== :Non-executive director of HBOS PLC.<ref name="epoch">{{cite web | title = Charles Dunstone | publisher = Entrepreneurs' Open Challenge | year = 2006 | url = http://www.epochuk.com/events/dunstone_bio.htm | accessdate = 5 November 2006 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090406205516/http://www.epochuk.com/events/dunstone_bio.htm | archivedate = 6 April 2009 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> HBOS is the holding company for Halifax plc and the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland. :In 2005 Dunstone's fee was £56,000.<ref name="AR2005"/>
===The Daily Mail General Trust=== :non-executive director of the Daily Mail and General Trust.<ref name="epoch"/> :DMGT is one of the largest media companies in the UK and has interests around the world in national and regional newspapers, television, radio, exhibitions and information publishing. :In 2005 Dunstone's fee was £34,000.<ref name="AR2005"/>
===Independent Media Distribution PLC (now trading as Group IMD)=== :non-executive director of Independent Media Distribution PLC between January 2002 - May 2011<ref name="Sir Charles Dunstone">{{cite web | title=Sir Charles Dunstone | publisher= the marque | url=https://www.themarque.com/profile/sir-charles-dunstone}}</ref> :IMD is a distributor of TV & radio advertising and for the television and music industries. Clients include ITV, MTV, L'Oreal and BSkyB. :In 2005 Dunstone's fee was £20,000.<ref name="AR2005"/>
===The Prince's Trust=== :Council Member of The Prince's Trust and former chairman of its trading subsidiary, the Prince's Trust Trading Ltd.<ref name="epoch"/> :The Prince's Trust is a Registered Charity (in England) No 1079675. The Prince's Trust Trading Limited (a company registered in England No 3161821) is a wholly owned subsidiary and trades on behalf of The Prince's Trust. In their 2006 annual report, The Prince's Trust had a gross income of £56.8m and an expenditure of £40.8m.<ref>{{cite web | title = Extract from the Central Register of Charities maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Main Charity 1079675, The Prince's Trust | publisher = Charity Commission | year = 2006 | url = http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?regno=1079675&submit=Run+Search | accessdate = 5 November 2006 }}</ref>
===Strike=== Dunstone is a major backer of discount online estate agency Strike.<ref>{{cite web |title=BREAKING: Purplebricks sold to Strike for just £1 |url=https://thenegotiator.co.uk/breaking-purplebricks-sold-to-strike-for-just-1/ |website=The Negotiator |date=17 May 2023 |access-date=2 June 2023}}</ref>
==Qualifications== Dunstone has 3 A-levels, grades B, C & D.<ref name="AD"> {{cite news | last = Davidson | first = Andrew | title = Dunstone drives into broadband | newspaper = The Times | date = 16 May 2006 | url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9076-2135700,00.html | access-date = 3 November 2006 | location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} </ref> He abandoned his business degree at Liverpool University after taking a gap-year with Torch Computers in Cambridge and then with NEC.<ref name=dialm> {{cite news | title = Dial M for millionaire | newspaper = The Observer | date = 11 September 2005 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/sep/11/theobserver.observerbusiness3 | access-date = 3 November 2006 | location=London}} </ref>
==Honours and awards== In 2005 Dunstone was awarded ''The Daily Telegraph's Business Person of the Year.''<ref>{{cite news | title = Dunstone clinches best in business | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph | date = 22 December 2005 | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/12/22/cnbiz22.xml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080313041020/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/12/22/cnbiz22.xml | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 March 2008 | accessdate = 6 November 2006 | location=London | first=Robert | last=Miller}}</ref>
He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours List 'for services to the mobile communications industry and to charity'.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60173 |date=16 June 2012 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) for his work with The Prince's Trust.<ref name="LG 13 June 2015">{{London Gazette |issue=61256 |date=13 June 2015 |page=B4 |supp=y }}</ref>
==Personal life== Dunstone established a charitable trust, which is the main sponsor of the Fulwood Academy school in Preston, Lancashire.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lep.co.uk/news/lep-business/academy_boss_makes_rich_list_1_3358314|title=Academy boss makes rich list |work=Lancashire Evening Post|publisher=Johnston Publishing|date=7 May 2011|accessdate=10 May 2011}}</ref>
In November 2013, the Prime Minister appointed Dunstone to the board of trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prime Minister appoints Royal Museums Greenwich Trustee|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-appoints-royal-museums-greenwich-trustee|access-date=2021-05-01|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}</ref> Dunstone was reappointed in 2017 but resigned in February 2021 before the end of his second term.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Prime Minister reappoints Sir Charles Dunstone to the Board of Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG)|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-prime-minister-reappoints-sir-charles-dunstone-to-the-board-of-royal-museums-greenwich-rmg|access-date=2021-05-01|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Charles Dunstone quit museum post over government 'culture war'|url=https://www.ft.com/content/25642d90-d79c-416f-9ebe-30895790bfa9|access-date=2021-05-01|newspaper=Financial Times|date=30 April 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Editor|first=Liam Kelly {{!}} Tim Shipman, Political|title=Museums chairman Charles Dunstone quits after minister blocks trustee|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/museums-chairman-quits-after-minister-blocks-reappointment-of-trustee-who-criticised-government-9rhqhhwwt|access-date=2021-05-02|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> He has donated to both the Labour and Conservative parties.<ref>[https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/the-best-connected-man-in-business-carphone-warehouse-billionaire-charles-dunstone-on-cameron-congestion-and-karma-9527339.html The best connected man in business: Carphone Warehouse billionaire Charles Dunstone on Cameron, congestion and karma], standard.co.uk. Accessed 9 January 2023.</ref>
Dunstone is considered a member of the Chipping Norton set.<ref name="TelegJul11">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/interactive-graphics/9124278/Whos-who-in-the-Chipping-Norton-set.html|title=Who's who in the Chipping Norton set|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|author=Caroline Dewar|accessdate=6 May 2012|date=5 March 2012}}</ref> His hobbies include sailing, and he is the owner of the classic racing yacht ''Blitzen''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/blitzen-the-1938-olin-stephens-design-that-was-the-grand-prix-boat-of-the-day-108902 |title=The Original Grand Prix Boat of the Day |date=6 July 2017 |publisher=Yachting World |accessdate=2024-08-17}}</ref> and the classic {{convert|64|m|abbr=on}} motor yacht ''Shemara''.<ref>Tatler {{cite web |url=http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list/d/charles-dunstone |title=Charles Dunstone - Tatler |accessdate=2012-08-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830185326/http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list/d/charles-dunstone |archivedate=30 August 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/on-board-with-sir-charles-dunstone-owner-of-classic-yacht-shemara--27171 |title=On board with Sir Charles Dunstone, owner of classic yacht Shemara |date=27 July 2015 | first1=Stewart |last1=Campbell |first2=Sacha |last2=Bonsor |work=Boat International |accessdate=25 November 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126183052/https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/on-board-with-sir-charles-dunstone-owner-of-classic-yacht-shemara--27171 |archivedate=26 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Family== Dunstone is married to Celia Gordon Shute, a public relations consultant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/citydiary/6294223/Dunstone-becalmed-for-island-honeymoon.html|title=Dunstone becalmed for island honeymoon|date=10 October 2009|first=James|last=Quinn|work=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group}}</ref> The couple has three children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwardes |first=Charlotte |date=5 December 2016 |title=Carphone Warehouse billionaire Charles Dunstone: 'We should celebrate dyslexia - you're different but you're not disadvantaged' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/caphone-warehouse-billionaire-charles-dunstone-we-should-celebrate-dyslexia-you-re-different-but-you-re-not-disadvantaged-a3412381.html |work=Evening Standard}}</ref>
==Footnotes== {{Reflist|30em}}
==References== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061030125353/http://www.cpwplc.com/cpw/about/corpgov/directors/ Carphone Warehouse – Board of Directors] * {{cite web| last =Dunstone| first =Charles| title =Charles Dunstone's Blog| publisher =Carphone Warehouse| url =http://www.talktalkblog.co.uk| accessdate =30 January 2009| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20090216200545/http://talktalkblog.co.uk/| archivedate =16 February 2009| df =dmy-all}}
{{Currys plc}} {{Daily Mail and General Trust}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunstone, Charles}} Category:1964 births Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Conservative Party (UK) people Category:Daily Mail and General Trust Category:English businesspeople Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Labour Party (UK) donors Category:Living people Category:People educated at Uppingham School Category:People from Saffron Walden Category:TalkTalk Group people