Justin Stead

Justin is currently an investor/shareholder and Chairman of the following brands: Le Col, Baby Mori, Navy Grey, Desmond & Dempsey, Otiumberg, and Runway Brands USA. He also sits on the Board of Radley London and Digital MR.

Previously, Justin was the CEO of Radley London (2016–2023) and Aurum Holdings/Watches of Switzerland Group (2006–2014), whose portfolio of brands includes Goldsmiths, Boutique by Goldsmiths, Mappin & Webb, and Watches of Switzerland. The WoS Group’s total sales revenue exceeded £500M, and during his tenure as CEO, the business quadrupled profits, growing from £6M to £24M+ EBITDA during one of Britain’s and Europe’s most challenging economic and recessional periods. On the back of this outstanding performance, the business was sold to Apollo Private Equity in a very successful outcome for all shareholders in December 2012.

Justin was born and raised in a small town in Queensland, Australia. He started his career in the United States after graduating with an economics degree from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas. Justin worked and moved through the ranks of a number of best-in-class retail and branded organisations in the United States before rising to Senior Vice President Worldwide for Fossil Jewellery and Watches, based out of Dallas, Texas.

Justin’s strengths are his ability to be a concise vision creator, a clear and decisive strategic thinker, a positive force and catalyst for change, and an inspirational leader to all levels of management and teams throughout a business.

Justin has travelled, lived, and worked in over 50 countries, and from these very rich, diverse, and varied experiences, he possesses a uniquely global perspective — not only in the business arena, but in how to inspire and motivate small and large groups of people to achieve objectives previously thought to be impossible.

Justin is also the founder of the Aurelius Foundation, a community interest company with the vision to increase awareness of and share the principles of Stoic philosophy, based on the four cardinal virtues of Wisdom, Justice, Temperance, and Courage, in the pursuit of happiness. The Foundation endeavours to share this philosophy to help young people consider how they might plan their journey through life and support their considerations of how to live a life that contributes to the greater good. The Foundation’s work involves engagement across universities, businesses, and throughout the UK prison system.

Justin is a passionate yoga practitioner, outdoor enthusiast, avid hiker, runner, golfer, and competent fly fisherman, enjoying these pursuits mainly in the Scottish Highlands. He is also the founder of the Rolling Stoics Rock Band.

He started out in life as a tennis player, attending university in the United States on an athletic scholarship. He was ranked in the Top 10 nationally at NCAA level and was, at one point, ranked in the top 400 tennis players in the world on the ATP Tour.