27 years after founding Carphone Warehouse, Sir Charles Dunstone has
stepped down as our Chairman to become Executive Chairman at TalkTalk.
Lord Livingston, our former Deputy Chairman, has taken on the role.
We spoke to both of them.
PASSING
THE TORCH
Technology has changed our world so much
that it’s almost impossible to remember what it
was like when I started Carphone Warehouse.
I remember you could only really use handheld
phones in cities, because they were the only places there
was enough coverage. I was a young man just trying to
make a living – I didn’t have any sense of what it would
turn into. Now look at us – we’re at the heart of an amazing
technological revolution that’s changing how we shop,
watch TV, and interact with other people. We don’t invent
the technology, but we keep it exciting, explain it to
customers, and show them how to make the most of it –
and that’s an important role, because many people are still
intimidated by technology. I’m most proud of giving our
customers more value, choice and support than they would
have had if we weren’t around, and I’m also very proud of
each and every one of our colleagues for helping us become
a leader in one of the most
exciting sectors of
our economy.”
I’m very proud to step up as Chairman,
and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into
the role. I’ve visited our stores in Reading,
Slough, Staples Corner and Oxford Street
among others, and being a frequent traveller, I’ve had a
chance to see lots of our airport stores from Iceland
to Heathrow. I just enjoy chatting to colleagues and
learning more about them. I first met Charles when there
were only four Carphone Warehouse stores and the head
office was above a shop in Marylebone. I actually tried to
buy his business back then – when I was Finance Director
of Dixons – but he would never sell it because I think he
knew how successful it would become. So it’s great that
our businesses have now come together. Charles is a great
entrepreneur, and I have a huge amount of respect for him.
I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Lord
Livingston
Sir Charles
Carphone Warehouse’s former
head office was above its
Marylebone store
8
CONNECTED | June 2017
Sir Charles founded Carphone
Warehouse in 1989
Sir Charles with Mowbli at the
Oxford Street store launch
TalkTalk’s launch in 2003