Gerald Ratner took over as CEO of the family jewellery chain in the mid-1980s, becoming one of Britain’s best known businessmen. He transformed it from 130 stores with sales of £13 million, to a public company with 2,500 stores and sales of over £1.2 billion. By 1990, Ratner’s was the world’s largest jewellery retailer with profits in excess of £120 million.
However, following a high-profile gaffe, in which he described one of the products sold in the stores as “total crap” and wiped £500 million off the market value, he spent 18 months trying to control the damage to the brand but was eventually forced out of the business. The company renamed itself Signet Group and expunged his name.
He eventually bought and developed a health club which he sold three years later for £3.9 million – the start of his comeback. He then started his online jewellery business, GeraldOnline, which today is turning over £25 million.
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Gerald Ratner | Books
He has published two bestselling books:
– The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again (2008) which looked at his fall from grace and how he’s built himself up again.
– Reinvent Yourself: A Brand New Guide For Reinventing Your Life (2020) which teaches readers how to look for the silver lining in every outcome, embrace change, and to reset your mindset.
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Gerald Ratner | Speaker
Gerald is a popular speaker with a compelling personal story of resilience and overcoming adversity. His talks look at his professional and personal setback, how he responded, adapted, and ultimately overcame it. He combines his inspiring personal story with practical lessons that attendees can apply in their own working lives.
Gerald has spoken to audiences around the world, from global corporations and industry conferences to leadership forums and business schools. Whether addressing senior executives, entrepreneurs, or future business leaders, he delivers an unforgettable session that combines inspiration, insight, and entertainment.
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Gerald Ratner | Speaking Topics
– Leadership
– Reputation Management
– Resilience
– Communication
– Crisis Recovery
– Entrepreneurship
– Success and Failure
– Business
– Teamwork
– Overcoming Adversity
– Mindset
– PR
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Gerald Ratner | Ideal For
– Executive and senior leadership conferences where reputational risk, crisis management, or communication under pressure are on the agenda.
– CHRO and L&D audiences focussed on building genuine resilience culture, rather than frameworks without lived experience behind them.
– Business award dinners, gala events, and after-dinner occasions where a high-recognition, self-deprecating narrative sets the tone.
– Entrepreneurship and business growth forums where the full cycle of building, losing, and rebuilding a commercial enterprise is directly relevant.
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Gerald Ratner | Audience Outcomes
– A real-world illustration of how quickly a leader’s words can overtake the reputation of an organisation.
– An honest account of what recovery from professional catastrophe looks like in practice.
– A sharper instinct for the gap between what leaders say internally and how public statements land with customers and markets.
– Practical perspective on rebuilding commercial credibility without institutional backing.
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To check fees and availability for Gerald Ratner, contact Great Business Speakers on 0044 (0)1753 439289
