Rakesh Aggarwal

For those of a similar name, see Rakesh Agrawal (disambiguation).
Rakesh Aggarwal
Born Rakesh Aggarwal
(1975-08-16) 16 August 1975
Cardiff, Wales
Nationality British
Occupation Internet Retailing
Partner(s) Caroline Aggarwal
Children 2
Website Escentual.com

Rakesh Aggarwal, (born 1975), is a British businessman, vice chair of COPRA and founder of the internet cosmetics retailer Escentual.com..[1]

Early life

Aggarwal is the son of Raj K Aggarwal OBE DL (Wales’s honorary consul to India),[2] and Mrs Usha Aggarwal. His father had emigrated from Kenya in the 1960s, and after training as a pharmacist ran a chemists shop in Cardiff.[3]

Aggarwal grew up in Cardiff, attendeding The Cathedral School, Llandaff, and then Malvern College as a boarder. He then studied pharmacy at King's College London, but halted his studies in the second year and in 1995 moved back to Cardiff to live with his parents.[4] He then enrolled on Cardiff University's MBA course, graduating with a distinction in 1999.

Escentual

In 2000, he took an e-commerce course and then spent £5,000 on design before launching Escentual.com from his parents garage.[5] It took its first order in November 2000.[6]

In 2011, Escentual.com posted sales of more than £10million and won the Beauty, Perfume & Cosmetics category at the Online Retail Awards.[7][8] At December 2012, Escentual employs 16 full-timers as well as part-time picking and packing staff. Aggarwal credited social media with helping customers interact nd keep abreast of developments.[9] Alexandra "Binky" Felstead from the augmented reality TV show Made in Chelsea is a beauty ambassador and blogger on behalf of Escentual.com.

Other interests

In 2015, Aggarwal was elected a trustee of Cardiff University Students Union.[10] Aggarwal will serve a four-year term focusing on issues of governance, strategy and finance.[11] Aggarwal was elected vice chairman of the Cosmetic & Perfumery Retailers Association (COPRA) in April 2015.[12]

Personal life

Aggarwal lives in Old St Mellons, Cardiff, with his wife Caroline and their two children.

References

  1. ↑ James McKeigue. "How I built the Amazon of online beauty". MoneyWeek. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  2. ↑ Llewellyn Jones, Robert. "Raj Aggarwal appointed first ever honorary consul for India in Wales" Western Mail. September 27, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ Loizou, Kiki. "I missed out on beauty sleep to look good online" The Sunday Times. September 23, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  4. ↑ Loizou, Kiki. "I missed out on beauty sleep to look good online" The Sunday Times. September 23, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  5. ↑ Staff Reporter. "Interview" Internet Retailing. July 6, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ James McKeigue. "How I built the Amazon of online beauty". MoneyWeek. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  7. ↑ Greenland, Lorna-Louise (16 September 2011). "Online Retail Awards Results". Online Retail Awards (Stratford Upon Avon).
  8. ↑ Loizou, Kiki. "I missed out on beauty sleep to look good online" The Sunday Times. September 23, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Miri. Direct Commerce Magazine. November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012. Available behind paywall.
  10. ↑ http://www.cardiffstudents.com/pageassets/your-voice/senate/meetings/Agenda-28.04.14.pdf
  11. ↑ http://www.cardiffstudents.com/pageassets/about-cusu/policy/CUSU-Memorandum-and-Articles-of-Association(1).pdf
  12. ↑ http://www.copra.org/about-us/

External links

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