Peter Jones (entrepreneur)

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Peter Jones (born 18 March 1966) is a British businessman with interests in mobile telecommunications, television, media, leisure and property.

1 Biography
- 1.1 Television career
- 1.2 Other businesses
2 References
3 External links

[edit] Biography

Jones' business career began at the age of 17; after completing the Lawn Tennis Association’s coaching examinations, he set up his first company, a successful tennis academy at a local club. During his twenties he ran a computer business.

He joined Siemens Nixdorf, the computer giant, and became head of the PC Business in the UK the same year. He started another business called Phones International Group in April 1998. The firm experienced explosive growth with revenue totalling £14 million by the end of the first year and £44 million by the end of the second. Group turnover for 2005/2006 was in excess of £250 million. The group counts every leading brand in the wireless communications industry among its business partners, whether as a supplier, customer or collaborator.

Peter Jones also attended the Windsor Boys' School where he studied Business Studies. It is thought that here, he learnt many skills, enabling him to use them for his future. Peter has since returned to the school for a prize day, with a kind invite by headmaster Mr. JB Dawkins.

[edit] Television career

Jones came to public prominence in the UK for his appearance on BBC Two's Dragons' Den.

After coming up with a TV show idea called The Inventor, which he took to Simon Cowell to see whether he would be interested in partnering with him, he managed to sell the idea to the ABC Network in America. When it aired in March 2006, it became a No. 1 show for ABC in America - the network's biggest success for a Thursday primetime slot in years. Jones also featured as a judge in his own creation on ABC's "American Inventor" - co-produced by Fremantle North America, Cowell's SyCo and Jones's "Peter Jones Television" company.

After signing a "Golden Handcuffs" deal with ITV to appear as their new "face" of business programming, on September 21, 2006 Jones appeared on GMTV to talk about "Dragons' Den." and his new ITV1 show Tycoon - solely produced by the "Peter Jones Television." company^[1] On June 27, 2007, after just 2 episodes of Tycoon had been broadcast, ITV announced that it would be moved from the prime time slot of 9-10pm on Tuesdays due to bad ratings. The series returned on Monday, July 9, 2007 as a 30-minute format for the 10pm slot.^[2]

Jones returned to Dragons Den for the fifth UK series, starting October 2007. He is known for his regular conflicts in the den with fellow dragons Duncan Bannatyne and Richard Farleigh. On one occasion, he was so disgusted with Duncan for unprofessionally undercutting his bid he responded with "You've just put a guy on the bloody edge here and you've just completely been a sly little shit"

When appearing on the Dragons Den, Jones likes to wear extravagant socks with his elegant suit as he feels this prevents him completely showing up the other Dragons, this was noted in the Dragons Den Christmas special.

Peter Jones features in a TV advertisement^[3] for BT Business alongside The Gremlins, who attack the whole office leading to an IT meltdown. The campaign announced the fact that BT Business offers 24-hour IT and Communications support for all business customers.

[edit] Other businesses

In the summer of 2005, Jones teamed up with another Dragons' Den star, Theo Paphitis, to buy the gift experience company Red Letter Days from fellow panellist Rachel Elnaugh, under whose ownership it had collapsed.

Peter also created Wines4Business.com, an online retailer specialising in the sale of wine and champagne to corporate clients, as well as Celcius.co.uk, a specialist recruitment business. He has many investments from the BBC show Dragons’ Den including Wonderland (a new luxury lifestyle magazine), Square Mile International (providing data services for marinas), The Generating Company (a contemporary circus company), i-Teddy and Reggae Reggae Sauce among others.^{[citation needed]}

He owns a TV production company called Peter Jones TV, and his business portfolio also includes a range of property investments (his nine properties include a Portuguese villa that he bought from Chris Evans).^{[citation needed]}