After a career mainly in the Fresh Produce industry Jonathan and his wife Rebecca (nee Graven) took over James Graven and Sons Ltd in 2000. Whilst building the business up rapidly from 12 staff to 140, Jonathan has had to quickly adapt to the ever changing forecourt and convenience store business. Jonathan was the founding Chairman of the Budgens National Retailer Council shortly after buying the first ever Budgens store to be sold to an independent retailer and during his chairmanship, he was asked to join the independents Board of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). A year later, Jonathan joined the main Board of the ACS and has been Vice Chairman for the last two years during which he has given evidence to the Low Paid Commission and the Sentencing Advisory Panel. This year Jonathan has been re elected as Vice Chairman for a further two year period and also now sits on the NACS International Committee as well as being a member of the Unilever Partners for Growth Panel. Jonathan is a regular contributor to the National media and has appeared a number of times on BBC Breakfast TV, BBC News 24, BBC Look East and Anglia News. He has also spoken on BBC Radios 1, 2, 4 and Five Live and was on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2. As well as the media Jonathan regularly speaks at conferences both in the UK and abroad and this has taken him to Brisbane Australia, Mauritius and Tenerife usually in an inspirational role. Jonathan is a columnist in the Independent Retail News and has also written articles for The Grocer magazine. Jonathan is available as an after dinner or conference speaker. For further details please email: jonathan@jamesgraven.com
