Arthur Bryan
Sir Arthur Bryan (1923-2011)
1923 Born in Stoke on Trent, son of William Woodall Bryan, a builder.
Started work in a bank
WWII Served in the RAF
1947 Supported by a government grant, he joined Josiah Wedgwood and Sons as a management trainee.
1947 Married Betty Radford
1953 Manager of the London branch. Set up and ran Wedgwood Rooms Ltd, the firm's retail business. Conceived and promoted the concept of franchised "shops within shops".
1959 Appointed general sales manager
1963 Promoted to sole managing director of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons; he was the first non-member of the Wedgwood family to run the firm.
1967 Opposed the listing of the company on the London Stock Exchange
1968 Succeeded Josiah Wedgwood (1899-1968) as chairman
Focussed the company on design and expanded by acquiring a range of companies in related markets, ranging from Johnson Brothers, inexpensive earthenware, to Coalport, fine china[1]
1976 A knighthood was conferred on him for service to export[2]
1987 Became chairman of Waterford Wedgwood
1988 Retired. By this time there were 110 Wedgwood franchised shops
2011 Died