Jan Cameron

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This article is about the Australian business woman. For the Australian swimmer and coach, see Jan Cameron (coach).
Jan Cameron
Born 1963
Melbourne, Australia
Residence Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia
Occupation Owner of Retail Adventures[1]
Retired founder of Kathmandu
Net worth A$318 million
Spouse(s) Bernie Wicht (divorced)[2]

Jan Cameron, CNZM (born 1963) is Australia's fourth richest woman and the founder of the Kathmandu clothing company. She currently lives in Bicheno, Tasmania. She currently runs various companies and business interests, which together span Canada, America, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. She is a philanthropist and avid supporter of animal rights.[3]

In 2006, Cameron sold 51% of her share of Kathmandu for $247 million Australian dollars,[4] making her the fourth richest woman in Australia.[5]

In the 2010 Birthday Honours, she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and philanthropy.[6] Her investiture by the Governor General of New Zealand took place on 14 April 2011.[7]

Cameron recently gained media attention in Tasmania when she and Graeme Wood, founder of Wotif.com purchased the Triabunna native forest woodchip mill,[8] and began plans to turn it into an eco-resort. After the Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings contacted her, it was agreed that the woodchip mill would continue for 4–5 years, before it is converted into the planned eco-resort. Currently the mill is not in operation.


Companies

Cameron was the sole shareholder of Retail Adventures, when it was placed into receivership in 2012 with debts to unsecured creditors of $165 million. In early 2013 she successfully bid to buy the company out of receivership for $58.9 million. However IMF litigation funders gave notice in March 2013 of a possible class action lawsuit and is seeking a public examination of whether the company traded insolvent prior to receivership. IMF has also raised questions about "director related payments" shortly before the company went into administration and the status of secured debts owed by Retail Adventures to entities related to Cameron.[9]

She also owns stakes in several other major retail companies; she owns 9% of Pumpkin Patch,[10] an unknown percentage of Macpac,[11] and 19% of the Postie Plus Group.[12] She also owns Nood (New Objects of Desire), a Canadian and New Zealand furniture retail company.

Charity work

Cameron is a philanthropist and stout supporter of animal rights and various charities. In 2010 she founded the Animal Justice Fund, donating five million dollars to start the organization,[13] which states its mission as "to promote the cause of animal welfare through strategic litigation, public awareness campaigns and the prosecution of persons or businesses who commit offences against animals used in intensive farming or through commercial and/or recreational practices."[14]

The following year, in May 2011, Cameron donated 60 acres on the Freycinet Peninsula to start one of three Devil Islands; safe havens for Tasmanian devil breeding populations to be isolated from populations infected with the devil facial tumour disease.[15] She has also supported Brightside Animal Sanctuary, an animal sanctuary in Cygnet, Tasmania, through the Elsie Cameron Fund, for several years.[16] Cameron has also continued to donate profits from all Chickenfeed stores in Tasmania to various charities,[17] for the last two years.

Kathmandu

Cameron founded the Kathmandu adventure wear company alongside John Pawson in 1987 after selling Alp Sports, her first company. She started by sewing sleeping bags to sell in Alp Sports, before she and her ex-husband bought half of Kathmandu and changed to selling Chinese-produced products. In 1991 Kathmandu brought back Alp Sports, therefore expanding Kathmandu into New Zealand, and then in 1994 John Pawson was bought out by Cameron and her ex-husband Bernard Wicht, leaving Wicht and Cameron as the sole owners of Kathmandu. Two years later in 1996, Cameron bought out her ex-husband's share of Kathmandu.[18]

In 2006 she sold 51% of her share in Kathmandu to a private equity firm for $247 million Australian dollars, and several months later she sold her remaining 49% of the company.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Allan Swann (2009-03-23). "Jan Cameron buys Aussie Retail Chain". National Business Review. 
  2. ↑ "Australian Story: Animal Farm - Transcript". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-10-11. 
  3. ↑ Jo Louise (2010-06-22). "Kathmandu founder Jan Cameron launches Animal Justice Fund". Paws.org.au. 
  4. ↑ "Kathmandu Founder and Recluse Jan Cameron Refuses to Feather Own Nest". The Australian. 2009-08-29. Retrieved 2010-10-16. 
  5. ↑ James Thomson (2010-10-12). "Retail Queen Jan Cameron Reveals She Has Given $35 Million to Charity in Past Four Years". Smartcompany.com.au. 
  6. ↑ Queen's Birthday Honours List 2010. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Jan Cameron, Tasmania, CNZM". The Governor General of New Zealand. 
  8. ↑ N/A (2011-07-14). "Triabunna woodchip mill in Tasmania sold to Jan Cameron and Graeme Wood". Adelaide Now. 
  9. ↑ http://www.theage.com.au/business/litigation-group-threat-to-pursue-cameron-20130319-2gdkb.html
  10. ↑ N/A (2010-01-22). "Wealthy Kathmandu founder buys into kids clothing company". Smartcompany.com.au. 
  11. ↑ Michelle Hammond (2011-06-09). "Kathmandu founder invests in smaller rival Macpac". Startupsmarts.com.au. 
  12. ↑ Shareinvenstors Editor (2011-07-14). "What is Jan Cameron up to?". Shareinvenstors. 
  13. ↑ Kelly Ryan (2011-07-22). "Jan Cameron Founds Animal Justice Fund". Herald Sun. 
  14. ↑ "Animal Justice Fund Homepage". Animal Justice Fund. N/A. 
  15. ↑ GGeditor (2011-05-10). "Philanthropist Jan Cameron gives Tassie Devils a new save haven". Girlgerms.com.au. 
  16. ↑ Emma Hazwell. "Brightside Animal Sanctuary Supporters". brightside.org.au. 
  17. ↑ Matthew Denholm (2009-08-29). "Kathmandu founder and recluse Jan Cameron refuses to feather own nest". The Australian. 
  18. ↑ Lucinda Schmidt (2010-07-09). "Animal Magnestism". Forbes Magazine. 
  19. ↑ Lucinda Schmidt (2001-07-09). "Animal Maganetism Page 2". Forbes Magazine. 

External links

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