Peter Vardy (businessman)

Sir Peter Vardy DL (born 4 March 1947) is a British businessman and philanthropist from Houghton-le-Spring in Sunderland. His business interests have been mainly in the automotive retail business. In the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 ranking of the wealthiest people in the United Kingdom, he was placed 388th, with an estimated fortune of £140 million.

He attended the Chorister School in Durham (1956–1961) and Durham School.

Vardy took control of the car dealership Reg Vardy plc in 1976, after the death of the founder Reg Vardy, his father. In the late 1970s he was successful in acquiring franchises to sell various brands in the United Kingdom.

From 1982, he expanded into the volume car market, first with British manufacturers and subsequently with European and Japanese marques. In December 2005, the dealership was sold to Pendragon, the largest car dealership chain within the United Kingdom, for £506 million. Vardy stepped down as Chief Executive the following month.

Vardy was awarded the inaugural Industry Personality of the Year Award in a round of Automotive Management Awards, and received a knighthood for services to education in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2001.

In May 2006, the Vardy Group of Companies was launched in Durham, comprising the Vardy Property Group, launched by his elder son Richard; and Peter Vardy Ltd, launched by Peter Vardy (grandson of Reg Vardy) who had previously been general manager of Rossleigh Jaguar Edinburgh.

Vardy operates a philanthropic group, The Vardy Foundation, supporting several community causes.

He has worked to involve business in education, and funded the building of a City Technology College in Gateshead, and three Academies, in Middlesbrough, Thorne and Blyth. These four schools form the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, a coalition of schools with a Christian ethos based in the north of England. he schools have received Ofsted ratings from "good" to "outstanding".

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