Mark Pears
{{Short description|British businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Mark Pears
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1962}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = British
|education = City of London School
|occupation = Businessman
|known_for = CEO, William Pears Group
| spouse = Debra Groves
| children = 2
| parents =
| family = Trevor Pears (brother)
Bernard Pears (grandfather)
}}
Mark Andrew Pears {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 1962) is a British billionaire businessman, CEO of the privately held William Pears Group since 1984.
Early life
Mark Andrew Pears{{cite web|title=Company Overview of The William Pears Group of Companies Limited|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=23779667|website=Bloomberg|accessdate=18 February 2015}} was born in 1962,{{cite web|title=Mark Andrew Pears|url=http://companycheck.co.uk/director/914293265|website=Companycheck|accessdate=18 February 2015}} the son of Clive Pears (died 1984) and Clarice Talisman Castle (1933–1999), and the grandson of Bernard Pears.{{cite news|last1=Boggan|first1=Steve|title=Secretive world of landlady who is richer than the Queen|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/secretive-world-of-landlady-who-is-richer-than-the-queen-1159056.html|accessdate=23 February 2015|work=The Independent|date=18 May 1998}}{{cite news|last1=Murray|first1=Paula|title=EXCLUSIVE: Scots city to receive £100k due to charity's family ties|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/544522/Glasgow-receive-100k-due-charity-family-ties-Pear-Foundation|accessdate=3 October 2015|work=Sunday Express|date=7 December 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/7067460/Pears-family-hopes-banking-plan-is-fruitful.html|title=Pears family hopes banking plan is fruitful|website=The Telegraph|date=24 January 2010 }} His mother, Clarice, was born in and grew up in Lochside Street, Shawlands, Glasgow, the daughter of Abraham Castle, a dealer in electrical and wireless appliances, and his wife Hannah.
He grew up in Hendon and was educated at the City of London School.{{cite web|url=https://www.barnetsociety.org.uk/component/k2/new-owner-for-the-spires-shopping-centre?tmpl=component&print=1/|title=New owner for the Spires Shopping Centre|first=Nick|last=Jones|website=barnetsociety.org.uk|date=9 April 2013|accessdate=2 February 2019}}{{cite web|title=Mark Pears|url=http://www.globalrealestate.org/Profile/6107/Mark-Pears|website=Globalrealestate.org|accessdate=6 November 2014|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106203438/http://www.globalrealestate.org/Profile/6107/Mark-Pears|archivedate=6 November 2014}}
Career
The William Pears Group was founded in 1952, by his grandfather Bernard Pears (who changed his surname from Schleicher in 1939){{cite news|last1=Cohen|first1=David|title=Let's all make it a bumper year for good causes, says man who gave away £30m|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lets-all-make-it-a-bumper-year-for-good-causes-says-man-who-gave-away-30m-7442487.html|accessdate=18 February 2015|work=London Evening Standard|date=13 February 2012}}{{London Gazette|issue=34711|page=7001|date=17 October 1939}} and his father Clive Pears, and is run by Mark Pears with his younger brothers Trevor and David.
Mark Pears has run the company since his father died in 1984, when he was aged 21.{{cite news|last1=Quinn|first1=James|title=Pears family comes out of the property shadows|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/profiles/8569562/Pears-family-comes-out-of-the-property-shadows.html|accessdate=3 October 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=12 June 2011}}
In 2014, he had a net worth of £2.1 billion.{{cite news|last1=Jefford|first1=Kasmira|title=Mysterious Pears dynasty backs new venture to build £1bn of London homes|url=http://www.cityam.com/blog/1395931430/mysterious-pears-dynasty-backs-new-venture-build-1bn-london-homes|accessdate=6 November 2014|work=City AM}}
Philanthropy
In 1992, he co-founded the Pears Foundation, together with his brothers. Pears is a trustee of the British Museum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/governance/trustee-mark-pears|title=Trustee: Mark Pears, CBE|website=The British Museum}}
Personal life
In 1987, he married Debra Groves at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue.{{cite news|last1=Sheinman|first1=Anna|title=What the rich list doesn't tell you|url=http://www.thejc.com/blogs/anna-sheinman/what-rich-list-doesnt-tell-you|accessdate=10 February 2015|work=The Jewish Chronicle|date=25 April 2013}} They live in Totteridge, London.
Honours
He was appointed CBE in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, "For services to Business and to Charity".{{cite news|title=Queen's birthday honours list 2014: GCB, DBE and CBE|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/13/queens-birthday-honours-dbe-cbe|accessdate=18 February 2015|work=The Guardian|date=13 June 2014}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pears, Mark}}
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire