Jan Fletcher

Jan Fletcher OBE is one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs. She has successfully built up and run businesses in extraordinarily diverse sectors and is currently focused on international property investment and development, natural health products, nutraceuticals and restaurants.

She started her career as an accountant, gained an MBA and has been building and selling businesses since the age of 20. Her portfolio of interests has included haulage, commercial vehicle sales, car dealerships – building the group to 15 before selling over a period of time, accident repair centres, publishing, radio stations and pharmaceuticals.

Career

Fletcher was non-executive director of the Skipton Building Society for ten years until May 2005.

In 2004, she helped set up and later became founding chairman of Marketing Leeds, the body set up to promote the city nationally and internationally. During her four years at the helm, she completed tasks such as singing up 60 corporates to become Champions, the distinctive brand ‘Leeds, Live it, Love it’ being adopted across the city, and showcasing Leeds in Spain, Germany and Italy.

Fletcher is an active supporter of numerous charities from Wheatfield's Hospice to the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen and is Patron of Make a Dream charity for children with terminal illnesses.

Acquisitions

Rougemont Estates

Rougemont Estates specialises in the syndication of commercial property investments, the facilitation of the purchase of investment properties for high net-worth individuals, trusts and pension funds, and the provision of commercial property investment advice.

Montpellier Estates

Montpellier Estates specialises in major mixed use regeneration projects, such as its flagship 10-acre (40,000 m²) development site, City One, at the southern entrance to Leeds.

Bee health supplement

The Bee Health supplement business recently received Halal approved status and is now expanding into Malaysia and 57 Muslim countries worldwide.

Restaurants

Fletcher has bought two restaurants, the Drum and Monkey in Harrogate and Bryan's Seafood Restaurant in Leeds

Awards and recognitions

• Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award in 1994^{[citation needed]}
• Voted Yorkshire Woman of the Year in 1995^{[citation needed]}
• Awarded an OBE for services to industry in 1997^{[citation needed]}
• Named one of Britain’s Top Entrepreneurs in 1999^{[citation needed]}
• Received a Honouree Doctorate of Letters, for her contributions to employment and enterprise, and her work as an ambassador for the Yorkshire region in the field of international business. 2009^{[citation needed]}