Hilary Devey
Encyclopedia
Hilary Lorraine Devey (born 10 March 1957) is a British
businesswoman
, television personality
, entrepreneur
and commentator. She is probably best known for her appearances on the BBC Two
programme Dragons' Den
.
, Lancashire
, she witnessed the results of her father's bankruptcy when bailiffs came to her home and removed furniture and household goods. She left Bolton Grammar School at the age of sixteen, served for a short time in the Women's Royal Air Force
, and later moved to London.
ised freight network. Launched in 1996, Pall-Ex was the third palletised goods distribution network to be launched in the UK. (Based on the well-established hub and spoke express parcels distribution model the pallet network was pioneered by Palletline in 1992. A second network - Palletways - was launched in 1994. Pall-Ex handles around 10,000 palletised consignments through its Leicestershire hub each day and has annual revenues of more than £100 million.
's Secret Millionaire
in 2008. She donated more than £250,000 to the Back Door Music Project and the Syke Community Centre. She later appeared on The Business Inspector on Channel 5 in March 2010. The latter was a four-part series that saw her use her business acumen and expertise by helping transform struggling small businesses into successful profitable
companies. She helped their owners improve their customer service, cash flow
and marketing
strategies.
In February 2011, Devey joined the panel on BBC Two
's programme Dragons' Den
following the departure of James Caan
.
Her wealth is estimated to be around £100 million.
, for whom she became a patron in 2007. She donates to charity one penny for each pallet distributed by the Pall-Ex network through her 'Penny a Pallet' scheme. She also supports the Stroke Association, for whom she became a patron in 2010.
As a campaigner for entrepreneurship, Devey has utilised her media presence to support a number of campaigns to develop entrepreneurism in the UK, including backing a call by a number of leading businesswomen to introduce an entrepreneurship badge in the Girl Guides
.
, England. She also has an apartment in London
and villas in Morocco
and Spain
. She has been divorced twice and has stated publicly that her son is a former heroin addict.. Devey owns four dogs, including Alfie, a West Highland White Terrier who appeared on an episode of Devey's show The Business Inspector.
She suffered a stroke
in 2009 after having a abdominoplasty
operation. She is a smoker
, stating she has smoked 40 cigarettes per day since she was a teenager.
in 2010 for her services to industry. Other UK domestic awards have included the Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
in 2009 and the Personality of the Year in the International Freight Weekly Awards for 2010. She is the only woman to win either of these awards. in 1979 she won Truck & Driver/Iveco Stralis Driver Choice Award, the only woman to have won this award.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
businesswoman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, television personality
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and commentator. She is probably best known for her appearances on the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
programme Dragons' Den
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
.
Early life
As a child growing up in BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, she witnessed the results of her father's bankruptcy when bailiffs came to her home and removed furniture and household goods. She left Bolton Grammar School at the age of sixteen, served for a short time in the Women's Royal Air Force
Women's Royal Air Force
The Women's Royal Air Force was a women's branch of the Royal Air Force which existed in two separate incarnations.The first WRAF was an auxiliary organization of the Royal Air Force which was founded in 1918. The original intent of the WRAF was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men...
, and later moved to London.
Business
Devey made her fortune launching Pall-Ex, a palletPallet
A pallet , sometimes called a skid, is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies...
ised freight network. Launched in 1996, Pall-Ex was the third palletised goods distribution network to be launched in the UK. (Based on the well-established hub and spoke express parcels distribution model the pallet network was pioneered by Palletline in 1992. A second network - Palletways - was launched in 1994. Pall-Ex handles around 10,000 palletised consignments through its Leicestershire hub each day and has annual revenues of more than £100 million.
Television
Devey is also a regular on the public speaking circuit. She has featured in television programmes including Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Secret Millionaire
Secret Millionaire
The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousands of pounds . Members of the community are told the cameras are present to film a documentary...
in 2008. She donated more than £250,000 to the Back Door Music Project and the Syke Community Centre. She later appeared on The Business Inspector on Channel 5 in March 2010. The latter was a four-part series that saw her use her business acumen and expertise by helping transform struggling small businesses into successful profitable
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
companies. She helped their owners improve their customer service, cash flow
Cash flow
Cash flow is the movement of money into or out of a business, project, or financial product. It is usually measured during a specified, finite period of time. Measurement of cash flow can be used for calculating other parameters that give information on a company's value and situation.Cash flow...
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
strategies.
In February 2011, Devey joined the panel on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's programme Dragons' Den
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
following the departure of James Caan
James Caan (entrepreneur)
James Caan is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. Caan has been building and selling businesses since 1985, including Alexander Mann Group, Humana International, and the private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw.Caan initially achieved success in the recruitment industry,...
.
Her wealth is estimated to be around £100 million.
Charity
Devey campaigns for various charities including The Princess Royal Trust for CarersThe Princess Royal Trust for Carers
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers was created on the initiative of HRH The Princess Royal in 1991. At that time people caring at home for family members or friends with disabilities and chronic illnesses were scarcely recognised as requiring support....
, for whom she became a patron in 2007. She donates to charity one penny for each pallet distributed by the Pall-Ex network through her 'Penny a Pallet' scheme. She also supports the Stroke Association, for whom she became a patron in 2010.
As a campaigner for entrepreneurship, Devey has utilised her media presence to support a number of campaigns to develop entrepreneurism in the UK, including backing a call by a number of leading businesswomen to introduce an entrepreneurship badge in the Girl Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
.
Personal life
Devey resides in StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England. She also has an apartment in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and villas in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. She has been divorced twice and has stated publicly that her son is a former heroin addict.. Devey owns four dogs, including Alfie, a West Highland White Terrier who appeared on an episode of Devey's show The Business Inspector.
She suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 2009 after having a abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck" is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to make the abdomen more firm. The surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall...
operation. She is a smoker
Smoker
Smoker is a noun derived from "smoke"/"smoking" and may have the following specialized meanings:* Someone who smokes tobacco or cannabis, cigarette substitutes, or various other drugs* Smoking , smoker, an apparatus for smoking...
, stating she has smoked 40 cigarettes per day since she was a teenager.
Awards
Devey was awarded the Vitalise Woman of the Year Award in 2008, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of LeicesterUniversity of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
in 2010 for her services to industry. Other UK domestic awards have included the Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport is a professional body representing the transport and logistics industries worldwide...
in 2009 and the Personality of the Year in the International Freight Weekly Awards for 2010. She is the only woman to win either of these awards. in 1979 she won Truck & Driver/Iveco Stralis Driver Choice Award, the only woman to have won this award.