Peter Jones

Peter Jones CBE
Founder of Peter Jones Investment Group

Partner Retail Services (PRS&) is wholly owned by entrepreneur, Peter Jones CBE, founder of the Peter Jones Investment Group. Peter Jones is one of the UK’s most successful and best-known entrepreneurs. He has built PRS& out of a portfolio of market-leading telecoms and e-commerce companies to create the first end-to-end retail solutions provider for global technology brands.

Outside PRS&, Peter’s broad range of investments span industries from publishing to clothing, toys and FMCG. An active philanthropist and campaigner for youth enterprise, he has run a charitable foundation for the last decade to equip young people with entrepreneurial skills and an enterprising mindset.

Peter’s philanthropy

In 2005, Peter established a charitable foundation called The Peter Jones Foundation to put into practice his belief that every child deserves a brighter future.

A bold vision

Peter’s vision is to educate, encourage and support young people in achieving their potential regardless of their background.

In order to achieve this he decided to create Britain’s first qualification in Enterprise & Entrepreneurship and, alongside Pearson, the first ever BTEC in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship was born. With this qualification as the starting point, the Foundation opened its doors in 2009 to the first of many Peter Jones Enterprise Academies.

By bringing the boardroom into the classroom, the academy set out to be a catalyst for cultural change. It quickly expanded to over 20 colleges up and down the country, teaching courses in enterprise and entrepreneurship, including a BTEC Level 2 in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, BTEC Level 3 in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship and an Adult Short Course in Enterprise.

Founded on a philosophy of ‘learning by doing’, the academy aims to equip future generations of entrepreneurs with the skills and the mindset to run their own businesses, which will ultimately support the future of the British economy.

REWARDING SUCCESS: The PJEA Graduation Ceremony

Every year, the foundation hosts the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy Graduation Ceremony where academy students from across the country have the opportunity to meet Peter on stage and receive their qualification. The event celebrates the students’ graduation as well as a series of academy awards, including the much sought after accolade of National Entrepreneur of the Year.

Tycoon in schools

In July 2012, the Peter Jones Foundation launched Tycoon in Schools, a national competition that aims to inspire secondary school children across the country to start a business within their school. The competition received huge support and in 2014, around a thousand school children across the country showed their entrepreneurial spirit, trading everything from healthy food kits to personalised wellington boots.