Steve Morgan (businessman)

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Steve Morgan OBE (born 25 November 1952 in Garston, Liverpool) is an English businessman, philanthropist, and chairman of Premier League football team Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Contents 1 Business career 2 Football 2.1 Liverpool 2.2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 Philanthropy 4 Family 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Business career

Training as a site engineer, in 1974 Morgan borrowed £5,000 from his father to buy his then employers, Wellington Civil Engineering, which was on the verge of going out of business.^[1] He developed this company into the builder Redrow plc. Under his leadership Redrow became one of the UK's most successful home builders. Under his chairmanship, Redrow was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1994, ultimately becoming a FSTE 250 Company.

The 1990s saw Morgan also invest in hotels, developing St David’s Park Hotel in North Wales and Carden Park in Cheshire, eventually merging his interests into the De Vere Group.^[1]

In November 2000, after 26 years, Morgan stepped down as Redrow Chairman,^[1] although his company, Bridgemere, remained one of its largest shareholders. He eventually rejoined the Redrow Board in March 2009 as Deputy Chairman and Chairman-Designate after having rebuilt his stake in the company.^[2]

Morgan’s main business is the Bridgemere Group of Companies, a property development and investment company based in Guernsey.

In 1992 Morgan was awarded the OBE for his services to the construction industry.^[3] He is a Fellow of the Institute of Builders, and holds Honorary Fellowships at Cardiff University^[4], Liverpool John Moores University and Glyndwr University

[edit] Football

[edit] Liverpool

A fanatical football fan, Morgan was a life-long Liverpool F.C. supporter, having followed the club from the days of Bill Shankly.^[1] Having built up a 5% stake in the club, after a series of rebuttals and disputes with then owner David Moores,^[1] he made a counter bid to that of then Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shiniwatra.^[1]

[edit] Wolverhampton Wanderers

After Moores sold Liverpool to George Gillett and Tom Hicks, in 2007 an opportunity arose to purchase Wolverhampton Wanderers, a club which he had previously regarded as his “second club.”^[5] In a unique deal Morgan agreed to buy the Club from Sir Jack Hayward for a token fee of £10 on condition he invested £30 million in the Midlands club. ^[6]. The takeover was formally completed on 9 August 2007 when Morgan became Chairman of the club.^[7] On handover, Sir Jack Hayward stated that Morgan “had had a heart transplant – from Liverpool to Wolverhampton.”^[5] In May 2009 Wolves were promoted, as champions, from the Championship to the Premier League.

[edit] Philanthropy

In 2000 Morgan established The Morgan Foundation, which supports charities working with children and families across North Wales, Merseyside, West Cheshire and North Shropshire.

In 2007 the Foundation launched The Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards to encourage entrepreneurship in the Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Shropshire and Wolverhampton areas.

[edit] Family

Mr Morgan has five children and lives in Cheshire with his second wife and two youngest children.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Bridgemere corporate website
• Morgan Foundation