Richard Harpin

Richard Harpin
Born (1964-09-10) 10 September 1964[1]
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England
EducationRoyal Grammar School, Newcastle
Alma materUniversity of York
OccupationsEntrepreneur, investor, and author
Known forFounder of HomeServe, Owner of Growth Partner and Business Leader
Children3[1]
Websiterichardharpin.com

Richard David Harpin (born 10 September 1964) is a British entrepreneur, investor, and author. He founded HomeServe in 1993 and served as its Chief Executive until 2023.[2]

Harpin is also founder of the investment fund Growth Partner and owns Business Leader, a peer-to-peer community for entrepreneurs in the UK. In 2024, The Sunday Times Rich List estimated his family net worth at £670 million. In July 2025, he published How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps which debuted in its first week as a Sunday Times bestseller.

Early life and education

Harpin was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and grew up in Northumberland.[2][3] His father was a civil servant, and his mother was an occupational therapist.[4] His paternal great-grandparents owned and operated a wool recycling mill.[2]

Harpin attended the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle and later graduated from the University of York with a bachelor's degree in economics.[5] As a student, he sold conkers to classmates and operated a mail-order business for fishing tackle and earrings.[2][3] At York, he launched a student magazine, Connect.[3]

Career

Harpin joined Procter & Gamble in 1986 and served as a brand manager for Vortex bleach and Fairy liquid.[3][4] He worked at Procter & Gamble until 1990 before joining Deloitte as a management consultant.[2]

HomeServe

While managing a portfolio of rental properties for a colleague, Harpin established a letting agency.[3] This experience led to the development of the business concept for HomeServe.[3] In 1993, Harpin co-founded HomeServe as a joint venture with South Staffordshire Water, which provided an initial £500,000 in capital.[2][6] The company offered subscription-based home emergency repair services.[3] Under his tenure, Harpin expanded HomeServe into a multinational company operating in the UK, US, France, Spain, and Japan.[2][3] In 2004, HomeServe demerged from South Staffs Water and was listed on the London Stock Exchange and later became part of the FTSE 100 Index.[2][3] In 2017, HomeServe acquired the tradespeople directory Checkatrade.[3]

In 2022, Harpin agreed to the sale of HomeServe to Brookfield Asset Management for £4.1 billion.[3] The transaction was completed in early 2023.[2] Harpin held a 7.4% stake and his wife, Kate, held a 4.8% stake which was valued at £490 million.[3] Following the acquisition, Harpin became Chairman of HomeServe's operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In January 2025, Harpin stepped down as Chairman of HomeServe.[7]

Growth Partner and Business Leader

In 2015, Harpin launched Growth Partner, a private investment fund focused on founder-led consumer businesses. He has committed over £150 million to the fund. The fund has invested in companies such as Passenger Clothing, Stubble & Co, Easy Bathrooms, Gozney, Secret Food Tours, Flooring Superstore, Acai, Wave, Host & Stay,[8] and Additional Lengths.[2]

In 2023, Harpin acquired Business Leader, a UK magazine and events platform.[9][10] During his ownership, Business Leader has expanded its focus to peer-to-peer networks, coaching and insight to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.[9] He hosts weekly growth workshops for entrepreneurs at his London home.[2][11]

Writing

Harpin has authored business columns for The Sunday Times,[12] Mail,[13] City A.M.,[14] and The Yorkshire Post.[15] In 2025, Harpin published the book How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, which became a Sunday Times bestseller.[2][10]

Philanthropy

In 2009, Harpin founded The Enterprise Trust, a charity that promotes youth entrepreneurship and apprenticeships.[16][17][11] The trust funds enterprise programmes and works closely with Young Enterprise, The Careers and Enterprise Company, the Scouts, and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust donated a £60,000 aid package to homelessness charities in the West Midlands.[18]

Personal life

Harpin was previously married to Kate Harpin, and they have three children.[19] In 2013, Harpin bought their village pub, The Alice Hawthorn Inn in Nun Monkton, to prevent its closure. It won Yorkshire Life magazine's Dining Pub of the Year award in 2017.[20] They also helped revive the Nun Monkton Ferryboat across the River Ouse in 2017 which had been closed since 1952.[21]

Harpin is a lifelong Newcastle United fan.[2] He was a political donor to the Conservative Party.[7]

Awards and recognition

Harpin was named Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.[22] In 2011, he served as chairman of the judging panel for the same award.[22] He has been included on The Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated family net worth of £670 million.[10][23]

References

  1. ^ a b "HARPIN, Richard David". Who's Who. Vol. 2019 (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hurley, James (20 June 2025). "Homeserve co-founder Richard Harpin has the answer for UK economy". www.thetimes.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Homeserve's founder set for £490m windfall after £4bn takeover deal - here's how he built his fortune". Sky News.
  4. ^ a b Armitage, Jim (22 April 2023). "HomeServe's Richard Harpin: How I built a £4bn business". www.thetimes.com.
  5. ^ Richard Harpin: Rich List Profiles Birmingham Post, 14 January 2008
  6. ^ "Richard Harpin, the home emergencies expert who commutes by helicopter". Independent. 25 March 2006. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009.
  7. ^ a b Courea, Eleni (7 April 2025). "Tories lose one of their biggest donors in major blow to Kemi Badenoch" – via The Guardian.
  8. ^ "Holiday home management firm secures investment and completes two deals". Business Sale Report.
  9. ^ a b Hosking, Patrick (18 September 2023). "Business Leader magazine to become voice for 'forgotten' UK firms". www.thetimes.com.
  10. ^ a b c Lytton, Charlotte (11 July 2025). "'A magic moment made me a multi-millionaire, but I'll never retire'" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  11. ^ a b "Huddersfield's Richard Harpin: 'I sold my business for £4.1bn - now I'm teaching others how to do the same'". Yorkshire Post. 5 July 2025.
  12. ^ Harpin, Richard (21 September 2024). "Not long started a business? Time to plan your exit". The Times.
  13. ^ "Richard Harpin articles". 25 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Richard Harpin Archives".
  15. ^ "Richard Harpin: This is how apprenticeships can work for all, says top York entrepreneur and founder of HomeServe". Yorkshire Post. 7 March 2019.
  16. ^ Kelly, Liam (2 September 2018). "Q&A with angel investor Richard Harpin". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  17. ^ "VIP chief a college drop-in!". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 18 November 2010.
  18. ^ Hayden, Tom (22 April 2020). "Good Shepherd Supported By Homeserve CEO".
  19. ^ "Richard Harpin: The home emergencies expert who commutes by helicopter". The Independent. 25 March 2006.
  20. ^ Barnett, Ben (16 March 2019). "Nun Monkton - peaceful place boasts a community ferryboat". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  21. ^ "All aboard the Nun Monkton ferry". York Press. 20 August 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Ernst & Young unveil their 2011 Entrepreneurs of the Year". 4 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Sunday Times Rich List 2023". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
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