Jan Cameron | |
---|---|
![]() Cameron in 2011 | |
Born | 1951or1952(age 71–72) [1] |
Occupation(s) | Owner of Retail Adventures [2] Retired founder of Kathmandu |
Spouse | Bernie Wicht (divorced) [3] |
Jan Cameron CNZM is a New Zealand-Australian businesswoman and formerly Australia's fourth-richest woman. She made her fortune as the founder of the Kathmandu clothing and outdoor equipment company. She currently lives in Bicheno, Tasmania. She runs various companies and business interests, which together span Britain, New Zealand and Australia. She is a philanthropist and supporter of animal welfare. [4]
In 2006, Cameron sold 51% of her share of Kathmandu for A$247 million, [1] making her the fourth-richest woman in Australia. [5] It was reported in September 2013 she had lost almost 90% of her fortune in the collapse of her company Retail Adventures, which entered receivership earlier that year. [6]
Cameron was the sole shareholder of Retail Adventures, when it was placed into receivership in 2012 with debts to unsecured creditors of $165 million. In early 2013 she successfully bid to buy the company out of receivership for $58.9 million.
Bentham IMF litigation funders gave notice in March 2013 of a possible class action lawsuit and is seeking a public examination of whether the company traded insolvent prior to receivership. Bentham IMF also raised questions about "director related payments" shortly before the company went into administration and the status of secured debts owed by Retail Adventures to entities related to Cameron. [7] Their case and following appeal was dismissed. [8] On 3 July 2014, it was reported mediation between her and liquidators of Retail Adventures, Deloitte, had broken down and the firm would be pursuing a public examination of the conditions surrounding the collapse of Retail Adventures, including alleged insolvent trading. [9]
She also owns stakes in several other major retail companies; she owns 9% of Pumpkin Patch, [10] 58% of Macpac, [11] [12] and 19% of the Postie Plus Group. [13] In 2008 she purchased the Arbuckles manchester chain off struggling Postie Plus for an undisclosed sum in June 2008, later liquidating the business in August that year so she could use the locations to open her Dog's Breakfast furniture company. [14] [15] Dog's Breakfast was shut down in 2010, with some stores converted to NOOD (New Objects of Desire), also a furniture retail company owned by Cameron, some to Chickenfeed stores—which itself later shut down—and some not replaced. [16]
It was reported in June 2014 Jan Cameron was the major backer of baby-food company Bellamy's Organic, which will begin its IPO on the ASX in July, estimated to be worth $100 million. [17] In December 2023, she was convicted for failing to disclose the purchase of shares in Bellamy's in 2014, and for submitting a misleading shareholder notice to the ASX in 2017. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2020. [18]
In 2016 Cameron placed a $280 million bid for Australia's oldest and largest dairy, Van Diemen's Land Company dairy. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, citing "national interest", instead sold the dairy to Moon Lake Investments, a Chinese company. Another failed bidder for the dairy, TasFoods, was awarded $1.25 million in damages from Van Diemen's Land Company for breach of contract in regards to the sale. Cameron later stated that Morrison had "betrayed the future of Australians" as the sale was the latest during a public debate over foreign ownership of Australia's most fertile land. [19] [20]
In April 2023, Tribe Noteholders, a group of convertible noteholders which included Cameron, took ownership of craft beer company Tribe Brewing, which went in administration in February that year. [21] [22]
Cameron founded the Kathmandu adventure wear company alongside John Pawson in 1987 after selling Alp Sports, her first company. She started in the early 1970s by sewing sleeping bags to sell in Alp Sports, [23] [24] before she and her ex-husband bought half of Kathmandu and changed to selling Chinese-produced products. In 1991 Kathmandu brought back Alp Sports, therefore expanding Kathmandu into New Zealand, and then in 1994 John Pawson was bought out by Cameron and her ex-husband Bernard Wicht, leaving Wicht and Cameron as the sole owners of Kathmandu. Two years later in 1996, Cameron bought out her ex-husband's share of Kathmandu. [25]
In 2006 she sold 51% of her share in Kathmandu to a private equity firm for A$247 million, and several months later she sold her remaining 49% of the company. [26]
Cameron is a philanthropist and supporter of animal welfare and various charities. In 2010 she founded the Animal Justice Fund, donating five million dollars to start the organisation, [27] which states its mission as "to promote the cause of animal welfare through strategic litigation, public awareness campaigns and the prosecution of persons or businesses who commit offences against animals used in intensive farming or through commercial and/or recreational practices." [28]
The following year, in May 2011, Cameron donated 60 acres on the Freycinet Peninsula to start one of three Devil Islands; safe havens for Tasmanian devil breeding populations to be isolated from populations infected with the devil facial tumour disease. [29] She has also supported Brightside Animal Sanctuary, an animal sanctuary in Cygnet, Tasmania, through the Elsie Cameron Fund, for several years. [30] Cameron has also continued to donate profits from all Chickenfeed stores in Tasmania to various charities, [1] for the last two years.
Cameron gained media attention in Tasmania when she and Graeme Wood, founder of Wotif.com purchased the Triabunna native forest woodchip mill in 2011 from Gunns, [31] [32] installing former Wilderness Society executive director Alec Marr as manager. After the Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings contacted her, it was agreed that the woodchip mill would continue for 4 to 5 years, before it is converted into the planned eco-resort.[ citation needed ] Currently, the mill is not in operation.
In the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cameron was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and philanthropy. [33] Her investiture by the Governor-General of New Zealand took place on 14 April 2011. [34]
Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. Cadbury is internationally headquartered in Greater London, and operates in more than 50 countries worldwide. It is known for its Dairy Milk chocolate, the Creme Egg and Roses selection box, and many other confectionery products. One of the best-known British brands, in 2013 The Daily Telegraph named Cadbury among Britain's most successful exports.
Burnie is a port city in Tasmania, Australia, located in Emu Bay on the north-west coast, 47 kilometres (29 mi) west from Devonport and 17 kilometres (11 mi) east from Wynyard. With an urban population of 19,550 in 2019, Burnie is the fourth largest city in Tasmania, serving as a major port for north-western agricultural and mining industries.
Gunns Limited was a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. It had operations in forest management, woodchipping, sawmilling and veneer production. The company was placed into liquidation in March 2013.
Go-Lo was a chain of Australian discount variety stores with hundreds of stores throughout Australia. It was part of the largest discount retailer group in Australia. It was owned by Jan Cameron's Retail Adventures along with Sam's Warehouse, Crazy Clark's and Chickenfeed stores.
KMD Brands, formerly Kathmandu Holdings, is a global outdoor, lifestyle and sports company consisting of three brands: Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz. Kathmandu was founded in 1987 in New Zealand and specialises in clothing and equipment for travel and the outdoors. Oboz, part of the group since 2018, is based in North America and designs wilderness footwear. Rip Curl, acquired in 2019, is a global surf brand founded in Bells Beach, Australia in 1969.
Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) is a brand of factory outlet shopping centres in Australia. They are large-floor warehouse buildings containing partitioned stores where retail outlets sell excess or previous seasons' stocks at reduced prices. Vicinity Centres have full or partial ownership of seven of the eight stores.
Macpac Wilderness Equipment is a brand specialising in outdoor recreational equipment. It is best known for camping and travel equipment including backpacks, sleeping bags and technical clothing. Macpac was originally a New Zealand company, but is now owned by the Australian company Super Retail Group. Macpac was founded by Bruce McIntyre in 1973.
The Van Diemen's Land Company is a farming corporation in the Australian state of Tasmania. It was founded in 1825 and received a royal charter the same year, and was granted 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) in northwest Van Diemen's Land in 1826. The company was a group of London merchants who planned a wool growing venture to supply the needs of the British textile industry.
DSG Holdings Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Discount Superstores Group was a discount variety retailer in Australia, formed in 2013 following the liquidation of former company Retail Adventures. It owned the Sam's Warehouse and Crazy Clark's brands, operating 143 stores. It is owned by Australian-New Zealand businesswoman Jan Cameron. It was announced on 1 July 2014 that the chain has entered receivership for the fourth time in 8 years.
Allan James Hubbard was a businessman who lived in Timaru in the South Island of New Zealand, and was the founder of South Canterbury Finance, New Zealand's largest locally owned finance company. In 2006, the New Zealand Listener described Hubbard as the most powerful businessman in the South Island.
Mark Stephen Hotchin is a New Zealand former property developer and financier. He was a director of the failed Hanover Group which owned a number of finance companies including Hanover Finance, United Finance, Nationwide Finance and FAI Finance.
Sam's Warehouse was an Australian brand of discount retail stores, similar to Crazy Clark's. It was founded in 2008 after The Warehouse sold its Australian operations to Australian Discount Retail, and the stores were required to be re-branded.
Chickenfeed was a chain of discount retail stores in Australia, founded in 1990 in Tasmania by the prominent Sypkes family. At its height it had roughly 44 stores in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. It was taken over by Australian Discount Retail Group in 2001, and the brand was discontinued after the parent company went into receivership. It currently has no stores remaining in Australia.
Graeme Thomas Wood is an Australian digital entrepreneur, philanthropist and environmentalist. He founded the websites Wotif.com and The Global Mail. Wood has also invested in The Guardian Australia.
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Alec Marr is an Australian conservationist and former Executive Director of the Wilderness Society (TWS) in Australia From 1998 to 2010. He has been a forest campaigner, lobbyist and international campaign advisor.
RSPCA Tasmania is an animal welfare, education and advocacy charitable organisation based in Tasmania, Australia. They run and maintain a shelter facility for the boarding of surrendered and seized animals, as well as operating retail shop fronts for the adoption of pets. They are responsible for the enforcement of state and federal animal welfare laws for domestic animals, and laws relating to non-commercial animal related activities in Tasmania.
Super Retail Group Limited is an Australian-based company which owns and operates a portfolio of retail brands across Australia and New Zealand. The brands include automotive retailer Supercheap Auto, outdoor and leisure retailers Macpac and BCF and sporting retailer Rebel.
Accent Group is an Australian and New Zealand footwear and clothing retail, wholesaling and distribution company. It has more than 700 retail stores, along with 19 brands, and more than 20 online platforms.