ARTHUR RYAN, the consistently private Penneys/Primark chief, stepped out of the shadows on Thursday night to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Retail at the Retail Week awards ceremony in London.
Mr Ryan, who founded the first Penneys store in 1969 in Dublin’s Mary Street and stepped down as head of the chain last year, received the award at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
In accepting the award, Mr Ryan broke a silence that has spanned decades. The Daily Telegraph reported him to be “clearly delighted” as he said: “I’ve had an extraordinary career. It’s like Robinson Crusoe; I’ve got the opportunity to sail a ship and here we are in Park Lane. We’re just here for water and supplies until we head off to Russia or somewhere.”
The Primark chief traditionally refuses to give interviews.
The ceremony included a tribute to Mr Ryan from Sir Philip Green, the owner of Topshop. He described Mr Ryan as a friend and said he richly deserved the award.
Previous winners include Sir Geoff Mulcahy, founder of Kingfisher, and Sir Ken Morrison, former chairman of UK grocery chain Morrisons.
Penneys/Primark also won the Retailer of the Year award. The fashion chain, owned by Associated British Foods, has annual turnover of more than £2 billion and operates almost 200 outlets.
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