Bill Grimsey is a British businessman with extensive experience in the food and DIY sectors. His career spans several decades, during which he has made notable contributions to companies like Wickes, Iceland, and Focus DIY. Bill began his retail career at 15 as a butcher's boy. After leaving school, he trained as a civil engineer for two years before completing his A-levels. He then joined Bishop's Food Stores as a trainee manager and progressed to director. In the late 1980s, Bill joined Tesco under Lord MacLaurin. He later managed Hutchison Whampoa's Park n' Shop supermarket chain in Hong Kong, where he successfully increased profits. Upon returning to the UK, he oversaw Wickes' operations in South Africa and became Managing Director of WBS, Wickes' retailing subsidiary. Bill's tenure at Iceland Group, later known as The Big Food Group, was marked by challenges from January 2001 to February 200. Despite his efforts to improve the company's financial situation, it suffered a £120 million loss, leading to the departure of many senior managers. In 2007, Bill became CEO of Focus DIY after its acquisition by Cerberus Capital for £230 million. He introduced strategies like round sum pricing and home delivery services, increasing sales. However, his time at Focus ended with the takeover and demerger of the Big Food Group by a consortium led by Baugur Group in February 2005. Bill has also held non-executive roles at Capita Group plc from October 2006 to July 2010 and joined Findel plc as a non-executive director in March 2012. Bill Grimsey is a businessman who has specialised in the food and DIY sectors over the last 45 years. During his career he held senior Director positions at Budgens and Tesco before becoming the Managing Director of Park’n’Shop Ltd, Hong Kong’s leading supermarket chain. On his return to the UK, he held three more leadership posts, CEO of Wickes plc, CEO of the Big Food Group (Iceland and Booker) and CEO of Focus DIY Ltd.
Bill is a regular commentator on the future of retail and the high street on both television and radio.
Bill has written the book, Sold Out ‘Who really killed the High Street’, held various Non-Executive Director posts, lead the team to publish The Grimsey Review ‘An alternative future for the High Street’ in 2013 and regularly speaks publicly and to Local Authorities about the High Street in the 21st Century. In July 2018 he published The Grimsey Review 2 ‘It’s time to reshape our Town Centres’ and is currently in discussion with both Central and Local Governments on a way forward.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration by the University of South-West England for his contribution to retailing.