Sir Guy Howard Weston (born 3 July 1960) is a British businessman and philanthropist.

Biography

Weston was born on 3 July 1960 in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia. He is the eldest son of

Garry Weston Garfield Howard "Garry" Weston CBE (April 28, 1927 – February 15, 2002) was a Canadian businessman who was active in the United Kingdom. Early life Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was the son of Reta (née Howard) and W. Garfield Weston, owner ...

and Mary Weston, and brother of George G. Weston. His paternal grandfather was W. Garfield Weston. Weston was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

. He read for the Bar, and then took an MBA at

INSEAD INSEAD, a contraction of "Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires" () is a non-profit business school that maintains campuses in Europe ( Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), and North America (San ...

Career

Weston began his career as an investment banker at Morgan, Grenfell & Co. from 1984 to 1987. He was the managing director of

Jacksons of Piccadilly Jacksons of Piccadilly was a London tea house, tea wholesaler and retailer, grocer, wine merchant, and deluxe department store, founded by Robert Jackson in Piccadilly in 1700. It is now a brand owned by R. Twinings and Company Limited, a form ...

from 1990 to 1993, and

Ryvita Ryvita is a rye-based crispbread originally manufactured by the Ryvita Company. The company was founded in Birmingham, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and S ...

from 1993 to 2000. He was the chairman of

Heal's Heal's ("Heal and Son Ltd") is a British furniture retail company comprising seven stores, selling a range of furniture, lighting and home accessories. For over two centuries, it has been known for promoting modern design and employing t ...

from 2001 to 2012. He was a non-executive director of Carpetright from 2005 to 2011. Weston has been the chairman of

Wittington Investments Wittington Investments Limited is a privately owned British holding company. It was incorporated in 1941 and is based in London, England. The company is 79.2% owned by the Garfield Weston Foundation, one of the United Kingdom's largest grant-ma ...

since 2012.

Philanthropy

Weston is the chairman of the

Garfield Weston Foundation The Garfield Weston Foundation is a grant-giving charity based in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1958 by Canadian businessman W. Garfield Weston (1898–1978), who during his lifetime contributed to numerous humanitarian causes, both ...

. Since Weston’s appointment as chairman, the Foundation has become the largest grant-making foundation in the UK, with total grants exceeding £1 billion. In December 2020, Sir Guy was recognized for the expertise and strategic advice devoted both to the Foundation and the charities it has supported during his 20-year Chairmanship and 35-year role as Trustee. He serves on the board of trustees of the Thrombosis Research Institute. He is an honorary fellow of Merton College, Oxford and an honorary fellow of the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...

. Weston has led a number of successful campaigns to help charities raise funds for causes, including the Bodleian Library in Oxford and Westminster Abbey He has also given his expertise to support charities’ strategy and income, including serving on the advisory panel for the Royal Society and chairing the commercial enterprise for the Imperial War Museum. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the

2021 New Year Honours The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to philanthropy and charity.

Personal life

Weston married Charlotte Emily Brunet in 1986; they have three sons and one daughter.

References

External links

Garlfield Weston Foundation
1960 births Living people 20th-century British businesspeople 21st-century British businesspeople Alumni of Merton College, Oxford British people of Canadian descent British philanthropists Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Businesspeople from Sydney Conservative Party (UK) donors Fellows of Merton College, Oxford INSEAD alumni Knights Bachelor People educated at Westminster School, London Guy Weston {{UK-business-bio-1960s-stub