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Born in the East End, Gary left the local secondary school with no formal qualifications. His love affair with the River Thames began as a school leaver painting boats and he vowed that one day he would own one of his own. He founded a company in 1977, selling diesel fuel from a fixed barge on the Thames. Since then he has founded seven companies, bought eight companies, built five new vessels and sold three companies.
Today, Gary is the owner and Chairman of City Cruises plc, the largest riverboat operator on the Thames with a fleet of 11 passenger vessels, Restaurant Ship Hispaniola and 150 employees. He plays an active role in London's tourism industry. He was the elected Chairman of the Associates panel of UK Inbound for six years and was made an honorary member in 2004. He is currently Deputy Chairman of Tour East London, Director of London MICE, a member of the Steering Committee of the European Tour Operators Association and Young Enterprise Board Member.
Gary's passion for his business and the community in which he lives and works has led him to dedicate a significant amount of his time to sharing his knowledge. He is a motivational speaker on business and entrepreneurship, works with schoolchildren developing their self-reliance and business acumen, campaigns tirelessly for further education and "young enterprise" and is a Vice-president of the Crew of the Variety Club of Great Britain. |
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