Private Equity in Retail: Emily Tate, CFO of Fat Face

Emily Tate, Finance Director of Fat Face, will discuss the history and future of Fat Face - www.fatface.com - focusing on how to invest and expand successfully in retail.

Founded in 1988 by skiiers who'd run out of money in Meribel, Fat Face became one of the quintessential brands of the Oxbridge set in the 90s, worn by their sports clubs and those across the UK who aspired to be like them.  The brand's rapid growth attracted investment first by ISIS, then Advent International who bought the brand for GBP100m in 2005.  Increasingly rapid expansion under Advent led to its sale to Bridgepoint in 2007 for GBP360m.  Due in part to the decline in the UK economy and in part to the company's strategy, by 2009, Bridgepoint was forced to inject cash in order to save the business from bankruptcy.

Under new management that has set it in a new direction, Fat Face is now enjoying a renaissance in its fortunes.

Emily has been the Finance Director of Fat Face since May 2011 having been internally promoted from her position as Head of the Finance Department. She has previously worked for a number of other retailers including Polo Ralph Lauren and B&Q. Emily qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a graduate of Keble College, Oxford.