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Steven Round

CEO, Robert Dyas

In June 2008 Steven joined Robert Dyas’ iconic Ironmongery as C.E.O. Sales and profits were in decline and the business was heavily over leveraged. By September 2009, Robert Dyas had announced the exit of its private equity owner, a return to sales and profit growth and a 50% reduction of its debt via a debt for equity swap with its banks.

Steven began his career with Schering Plough, Beecham and Guinness. In 1990 Steven joined Kingfisher to create a marketing function at Superdrug, which in time came to include all aspects of marketing, strategy, business development and property. During this period Steven masterminded the repositioning of Superdrug away from a discount generalist to a fashionable health and beauty specialist and a company recognised for its often original use of P.R; advertising and design. In 1999, Steven moved within Kingfisher to create Woolworth General Store a profitable neighbourhood format which was well received by customers and retail analysts alike, but which became a casualty of Woolworth’s demerger from the Kingfisher Group. After a period as Commercial Director of MFI and as P.D.G. of its French business where he trebled profits, in October 2005 Steven was asked to head the heavily loss-making MFI (UK) retail division with a brief to prepare it for sale or close it. One year later, having halved its losses, MFI was sold to Merchant Equity Partners.

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