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Iqbal Ahmed

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Iqbal Ahmed
OBE
বজলুর রশিদ
Born (1956-08-04) 4 August 1956 (age 68)
Sylhet Division, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
NationalityBangladeshi
CitizenshipBritish
Alma materCity College Westminister
OccupationEntrepreneur
StyleFood processing
TitleChairman and Chief Executive of Seamark Group[1]
Websitewww.seamark.co.uk

Iqbal Ahmed, OBE (Bengali: ইকবাল আহমেদ; born 4 August 1956) is a Bangladesh-born British entrepreneur. Based in Manchester, he made his fortune importing shrimp. The success of his two companies, Seamark and Ibco, have extensive interests in shipping, hotel and real estate development, hospitality, and food. Both companies turned him into one of the United Kingdom's richest men. He is also the highest ranked British Bangladeshi to be featured on the Sunday Times Rich List.

Early life

Ahmed was born in Sylhet Division, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).[3] In 1971, at the age of 15, he moved to the United Kingdom. He attended the City College in Westminster, and a few years later he joined his family's business located in Oldham, which his brothers Kamal and Bilal joined later after the business expanded.

Career

Seamark products sold in Bangladeshi grocery stores

The Seamark Group was created alongside with Ahmed's brothers. The company Ibco is a supplier to the catering trade and Seamark is the frozen-food processor. He also owns a hotel development, a Thai restaurant and bar called the Vermilion and Cinnabar (opened 14 November 2007), on Hulme Hall Lane which is worth £5 million, close to the City of Manchester Stadium.[4]

In 2004, Seamark and Ahmed's brothers made a combined profit of £5.1 million on £108 million.[5] The Ahmed family featured in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006, coming at number 511 with a total worth of £110.[6] In 2007 however the rank fell to 574, and in 2008 to 644 at £120.[7]

Ahmed and his family's Manchester-based business has a £200 revenues across the city, with also a workforce of 2,000 in Bangladesh, which is where he was born.[8] The products are exported across Europe and America,[5] in popular brand names such as Mr Prawn, Lily, Classic and Tiger. In 2001, a new sales office was created in the United States to distribute products in North America, located in New Jersey and in Brooklyn, New York City.[9] He is popularly known by the British community, 'Mr Shrimp' or 'King Prawn'.[10]

In 2006, Ahmed was nominated by The British Frozen Food Federation to represent their interest and concerns as a member of the Ethical Trading Champions' Group, which was set up as part of the Government’s Food Industry Sustainability Strategy.[11]

In 2007, Ahmed was invited to join an economic think tank, the New Enterprise Council, by George Osborne. Over the years he has played an active role in a number of government committees and advisory bodies. They include the Department of Trade and Industry's Southern Asia Advisory Group; the Competitiveness Council and the British Council's BOND initiative, which provides UK companies with low-cost introductions to potential business partners in key developing international markets[11]

Awards and recognition

In 2001, Ali was appointed Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours for his services to international trade.[12]

Ahmed was recognised for services to import and export at the Legends of Industry Award at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate hotel. In June 2012, he won the international entrepreneur of the year category in Ernst & Young's North region Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, held at The Lowry Hotel.[13]

Personal life

Ahmed lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire. His brothers Bilal and Kamal live nearby. His hobbies include travelling, playing golf, tennis and swimming.[9]

Ahmed also runs his own foundation to help and improve the lives of the poor in his native Bangladesh and is also the founder chairman of the NRB Bank project to support non-resident Bangladeshis in their contribution to the country's economy.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Iqbal Ahmed". Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  2. ^ Foster, Peter. "Richest Man In Bangladesh". The Richest People In The World. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  3. ^ Foster, Peter (2 December 2006). "Britain's Bengalis stage great curry takeaway". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Barry, Chris (22 October 2007). "Iqbal's £25m blueprint". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b "32. Iqbal, Kamal and Bilal Ahmed: £100m (£95m)". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "The Ahmed Family". Rich List 2006. The Times. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "2008 Rich List Search". Rich List 2006. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Top 20 richest Asians". The Telegraph. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (July 2008). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 155. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  10. ^ Zaman, Tamara (16 October 2008). "British Bangladeshis who have made a mark". New Age Xtra. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ a b "Seamark hosts PM visit". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Iqbal wants corporate culture in Bangladeshi business community". The Asians. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ a b "Seamark boss Iqbal Ahmed honoured". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

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