Nik Powell
Nik Powell (born 4 November 1950) is a British businessman and one of the co-founders of the Virgin Group with Richard Branson. After operating a mail-order company, a small record shop, and a recording studio, the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. It became one of the UK's major recording labels until it was sold to EMI in 1992.
Biography
Born in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England, Powell was educated first at Longacre School, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey, moving when he was seven to a small Catholic preparatory school, St. Richard's[1] in Little Malvern, outside Malvern. From there he went to Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire, and subsequently spent a year at the University of Sussex.
In 1983, Powell and Stephen Woolley founded Palace Productions, which produced The Company of Wolves (1984), Mona Lisa (1986), and The Crying Game (1992).[2] After presiding over the 1992 collapse of the company, Powell re-established himself in the film industry with Scala Productions and has since produced Fever Pitch, Twenty Four Seven, Last Orders, B. Monkey, and Ladies in Lavender.[3]
Powell currently is director of the National Film and Television School[4] in England while maintaining his position as chairman of Scala Productions.
Personal life
Powell's marriage to Merrill Tomassi, the sister of Richard Branson's first wife, ended in divorce. He then married singer Sandie Shaw and helped relaunch her career. They had two children, Amie and Jack, before divorcing in the early 1990s.
References
- ↑ "St Richard's – Home". St-richards.org.uk. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ↑ "NIK POWELL Director, NFTS". NFTS. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ↑ Alberge, Dalya (3 October 2010). "UK film-makers 'frittering away millions'". The Observer. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ↑ Gant, Charles (6 December 2010). "My alternative British Independent Film awards 2010". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2011.