Paul Rowlett is the founder and CEO of the international promotional products brand EverythingBranded, a company he started from scratch. It now has global sales of over £26 million trading in the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada, but Paul has firm plans to open in Australia, South Africa and more in Europe in 2020. After leaving school with one GCSE, Paul joined the Royal Navy and served during the Gulf War. He left the Navy in 2003 and, after a succession of jobs, hit rock bottom in 2011 when his house was repossessed, forcing him to live with friends and survive on benefits of just £75 a week. Using a small loan of £500 from a friend and a free laptop that came with a mobile phone contract, he founded Leicester-based distributor Charles Alexander Distribution and launched his flagship online brand, EverythingBranded.co.uk.

By 2013, turnover exceeded £2 million and the company was winning awards. After being encouraged to explore the US market in 2015, Paul went on to add EverythingBranded USA to his portfolio. Despite being a traditionally difficult market for British firms to compete in, within one year the new USA arm achieved more than $6 million in sales.

An integral part of Paul’s professional ethos is to promote a culture of development, where people can reach their professional and personal goals. He has a clear business plan of hitting $100 million in turnover by the end of 2021, so his team around him are vital.

Paul has been a committed supporter of the Peter Jones Foundation since 2019 and is passionate about creating opportunities for young people to thrive through entrepreneurship. Unhappy at School himself, Paul took part in Channel 4’s The Secret Teacher andsaw first-hand the huge rewards that come from believing in pupils’ potential. We are incredibly grateful for his ongoing support.