Famous Welsh Business People

Laura Ashley was a Welsh businesswoman and fashion designer. She is credited with co-founding a British textile design company called Laura Ashley plc, which became an international retail chain after some 20 years from its founding. Two years after her death, the Laura Ashley Foundation was established in order to fund arts and social welfare projects.

Welsh-Canadian business tycoon Terry Matthews has been associated with countless companies, such as Mitel and Newbridge Networks, as their co-founder. A telecom and data networking magnate, he made it to the Forbes list of Billionaires 2021. His knighthood created diplomatic issues in Canada, which doesn’t allow acceptance of foreign titles.

Thomas Robert “Tommy” Dewar, also known as Whisky Tom, was born to a distiller father, who had founded John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. in Scotland. He later expanded his family business, along with his brother, traveling to about 26 nations, and making Dewar’s an internationally renowned whiskey brand.

British astronomer Isaac Roberts revolutionized astrophotography with his photographs of nebulae. The son of a farmer, he had initially also worked at a mechanical engineering firm. His work in astrophotography won him the Royal Astronomical Society’s gold medal. A crater on the Moon was later named after him.

Born to the governor of the Denbigh Castle, Hugh Myddelton grew up to become a successful goldsmith and then a merchant. He later also excelled as a clothmaker. His interest in engineering led him to build a canal for the supply of clean water to London. He also owned a few mines.

Welsh coal magnate D. A. Thomas expanded his family’s coal business and created Consolidated Cambrian, Ltd. He had a 22-year stint as a Liberal MP in the UK and introduced food rationing in Britain during World War I. He also survived a torpedoed ship with his swimming skills.