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Simon Jeffreys Simon Jeffreys is the Chief Executive of the Designers Guild Group of companies (DG) – Designers and distributors of furnishings and fabrics, Wallcoverings, bed and bath, upholstery and other “Home” products.

Career

He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 with Coopers and Lybrand (C&L) in London. In 1983 he transferred to the C&L office in Hong Kong for two years before returning to England to join his sister at Designers Guild in his role as Chief Executive. Designers Guild was a well-established name at that time, but the company was in need of reorganisation. In 1986, after a major strategy review, Jeffreys instigated a significant re-structuring and re-focusing of the company and establishing a management information system to measure performance. In 1985 Designers Guild turnover was 4.5 million and now in 2012 it has grown to over 50 million with over 280 staff and as board of eight directors as well as office and showrooms in London, Paris, Munich and new York and a 80,000 sq ft distribution centre in West London producing fabrics and wallpapers as well as furniture, bedlinen, towels, cushions, throws, rugs, paint, fragrance, stationery, wallets and diaries. Designers Guild also designs and distributes collections for Christian Lacroix for Designers Guild, William Yeoward and the Royal Collection Fabrics and Wallpapers and distributes for Ralph Lauren. In 2008 working with Reflex, Simon Jeffries re-structured the data systems for Designers Guild.

Background

Jeffreys has a degree in Business Studies from Bradford University Centre, is a graduate of the institute of marketing and in 1990 became a fellow of the institute chartered accountants and fellow of the institute of directors.

1 http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-1701820/Fabrics-firm-aims-to-fly-the-flag-abroad.html 2 http://www.slideshare.net/PictetWealthManagement/pictet-report-april-2011 3 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/8663091/Celebrity-Gardeners-Tricia-Guilds-garden.html 4 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/article/540616-Christy_s_Newman_to_head_Designers_Guild_U_S_sales_showroom.php 5 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/23/interiorsdirectory32 6 www.reflexdata.co.uk/aboutreflex/clienttestimonials.php?catid=1&slid=ab3