Rumi Verjee

Rumi Verjee

Rumi Verjee, Baron Verjee CBE (born 1957) is a British businessman and philanthropist. Born in Uganda, Rumi moved to the UK as a child before studying at Downing College, Cambridge. On 1 August 2013, it was announced he is to become a member of the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat peer.^[1]

Early life

Rumi Verjee was born in Uganda and spent his early childhood in Kenya before coming to Britain. Many of the Verjee family assets were seized under Idi Amin’s regime in 1972.^[2] He attended Downing College, Cambridge where he gained a BA in Law, before being called to the Bar from Middle Temple.^[3]

Business

Aged 27, Verjee approached Tom Monaghan at a conference in America, and persuaded him to sell the franchising rights to Dominos Pizza in the UK.^[2] Verjee launched the chain in Britain and it now employs over 20,000 people in the UK^[4] Verjee sold his stake in the firm in 1989, and went on to oversee the development of the Brompton Hospital site. From 1993 until 1997, Verjee, alongside the singer Elton John, co-owned Watford F.C.^[3] In 1995, he bought Thomas Goode, which holds two royal warrants.^[5] The British Olympic Association appointed Verjee to its advisory board ahead of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.^[5]

Philanthropy

Verjee established a UK Charity, The Rumi Foundation,^[6] in 2006. The Foundation supports humanitarian work through education, innovation and knowledge building. Its work is principally focussed in the UK but has also supported projects in India, East Africa and South America.

In keeping with its aims, the Foundation has supported a number of initiatives including:

• Established a Chair in perpetuity at Downing College Cambridge, to research the early detection of cancer in children.^[7]
• Endowed a five-year programme of Innovation Night Lectures at the Royal College of Art. Speakers have included will.i.am, Director of Creative Innovation, Intel, the fashion designer Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer at Burberry, and Chad Hurley, Founder of YouTube.^[8]
• The Global Leadership Foundation, established by Nobel Peace Prize winner, F.W. de Klerk, which draws on the vast experience former Presidents, Prime Ministers, and senior ministers to discreetly and in confidence support current political leaders, promote good governance around the world and to strengthen democratic institutions and practices
• Supported the launch, of Free the Children in the UK. Alongside Holly Branson, Verjee co-chairs the UK initiative, We Day which encourages young people to take a greater role in their communities.^[9]
• An ongoing partnership with the Clinton Foundation on their Building Tomorrow project in Uganda^[10]
• Mosaic, a charity whose patron is Prince Charles and is dedicated to teaming up young people from deprived communities with high-flying mentors who can help them negotiate life’s challenges.^[11]

In 2009, Verjee was awarded a CBE for his charitable work.^[12][13]

Politics

An active Liberal Democrat for several years, Verjee was appointed to the House of Lords in August 2013. His political activity includes support for the party’s Leadership programme to improve representation from under-represented groups.^[14][15] To support this work he donated £770,000 from the company he owns, Brompton Capital Ltd, to the Liberal Democrats. In December 2012, a Labour MP referred some of Verjee’s donations to the Electoral Commission for investigation; they were subsequently all cleared as permissible donations.^[16]

On 17 September 2013 he was created a life peer taking the title Baron Verjee, of Portobello in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.^[17][18]

References