As an entrepreneur that hit the headlines across the globe when a ‘joke’ during a business event went horribly wrong, leading to him losing his fortune and the career he had dedicated much of his life to, Gerald Ratner will take to the stage at the Buy Yorkshire Conference to explain how he used his setback to shape his future.
With a career spanning more than 40 years in the jewellery business, Ratner will take the opportunity to share his story and experiences to prove that when you have nothing else to lose, learning from your mistakes is the only option.
Having owned more than 2,500 retail outlets throughout the country and across the world, Ratner now has an online ecommerce site www.geraldonline.com, offering a range of high-quality jewellery including necklaces, rings, bracelets and watches.
As a professional public speaker, travelling across the world to deliver his talks, Gerald hopes that by sharing his story he can help people to overcome their own difficulties in business.
He comments: “I am without doubt most famous for making a joke about the quality of my products which didn’t receive the jovial response that I had intended. Most people will agree that it wasn’t one of my finest ideas, but the lessons that I have learnt as a result of that decision have changed the course of my career and my life.
“Using my own experiences, which at times were far from easy, I can give delegates an honest account of what happened and how it feels to lose absolutely everything and face the fact that you have two choices; give up or start again.”
Founder of the Yorkshire Mafia and the Buy Yorkshire Conference, Geoff Shepherd, comments: “We are really looking forward to welcoming Gerald to the Conference. His refreshing honesty and the fact that he is not afraid to acknowledge his mistakes is certainly to be admired.
“Knowing that he has used his experiences to shape the future and to become a positive role model for others is what makes his journey sound like the plot to a Hollywood blockbuster, rather than a true account of a gag that went wrong. It takes great determination, self-belief and commitment to start all over again and that’s exactly what he has done.”
The Buy Yorkshire Conference is the largest business to business event in the North and takes place on Tuesday 15 May at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. The event, which is free to attend, is expected to attract 4,000 delegates, 175 exhibitors and a line-up of world-class speakers..
