David Sanger
Commentary: After reading Economics and Politics at Exeter University, Sanger trained as a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young before moving to an advertising agency. Frustration with the decision-making process led Sanger to open his own business, a chain of sandwich bars in West London. Not an immediate success, working 5am to 9pm six days a week and the shops were still losing money. A new strategy was needed. Sanger hired a manager for the shop and secured bulk orders from hotels and local hospitals. Sales tripled in two months.
In 1995 Sanger discovered a hotdog machine in Copenhagen and with a £500 purchase and some modifications back in England he installed it in one of the shops using high-quality hotdogs from Germany. Sales were excellent and more machines were ordered, one for each shop. To concentrate on the hot dog business Sanger sold the shops in 1997 and opened hotdog retail outlets, “an absolute disaster“ he admits himself, opening 18 outlets in 18 months. He finally called a halt but spent another 18 months sorting it out and lost £1m in the process.
The wholesale operation survived and was aquired in 2006 by Piper Equity Group for £9m. Sanger is still a non-exec director and has fingers in several other pies, most notably Riverbank IT Management and Escential, as well as being governor of a prep school and working with a number of charities.
Quote: “Its not making money that has inspired me, it is wanting to be the biggest and the best.“
Year of Birth: 1965
Residence: Hook, Hampshire
Business: Rollover – founder, sold in 2006, remains a non-exec director. Escential - chairman; delivering laboratory manufactured scents to businesses in UK. Riverbank IT – non-exec director responsible for corporate strategy, growth, acquisitions, coaching and mentoring the directors and senior managers (10% shareholding)
Business Location: Maidenhead, Slough and Milton Park
Turnover and year: Rollover £13.1 million in 2014
Description: Fast-food entrepreneur originally, now using the experience to coach and mentor a diverse range of businesses
