User talk:Clive Jacobs

Clive Jacobs is the Founder and former Chairman and CEO of holiday autos group limited, the world’s largest leisure car rental broker. From humble beginnings, Clive built holiday autos into a sector leading business, which was acquired by lastminute.com in March 2003 for £43 million.

Early Years
Having left school at 16 Clive’s early career included jobs on building sites, and even the fish department at Selfridges. His introduction to the travel and leisure sector industry was working as a messenger for a travel agency. Following that he took a job in sales with a seat only company and became Managing Director of his own flight company at the age of 21

Holiday Autos
On the look out for an unexploited niche in the travel industry, Clive and two partners founded holiday autos in 1987. holiday autos was the first car rental broker in Europe and the first car rental business to offer a pre book-able pre-paid fully inclusive product that was guaranteed in price. In 1995 Clive brought in ECI Ventures to assist him in buying out his original partners. They took a 25% stake in the company.

From this point onwards and realising the international opportunity that existed in this still unexploited segment Clive then set about the task of transforming holiday autos from a small successful company, into an established, well respected global business with a turnover in excess of £200 million operating out of 30 counties worldwide. Between 1995 and 2003 holiday autos won 68 awards in 8 countries for its service and innovation. In 1999 holiday autos launched the first fully book-able car rental website which by 2003 was handling in excess of 80% of the company’s transactions.

On selling holiday autos Clive joined the board of lastminute.com plc as Executive Deputy Chairman a position he held until June 2004.

Personal Accolades
In 1997 Clive was awarded the World Travel Market Global award for his outstanding contribution to the UK Travel Industry and in 1999 he was voted Director of the Year by PWC and Decision magazine. In 2000 he was presented with a World Travel Market Tribute 21 award, an accolade given to 21 key individuals who had been instrumental in bringing pioneering changes to the travel industry over the previous 21 years.

More recently, in 2003, he was inducted in to the travel industry’s highly prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside other leading figures including Vladimir Reitz, Billy Butlin, Lord King and Richard Branson.

Current Activity
Since June 2004 Clive has worked on several large acquisition opportunities with major banks and private equity companies. He has personally backed three businesses – he Chairs two (an online classified advertising business and an internet software business) and is a Senior Non-Executive of the third (a leading cruise retailer).

In February 2008 Clive added to his portfolio of businesses the Michelin star New Angel restaurant and rooms in Dartmouth. This bought Clive and Celebrity Chef John Burton Race back together, as Clive previously chaired and was a shareholder of L’Ortolan; John’s first 2 Michelin star restaurant in Berkshire.