Mike Richards - Managing Director

Mike is now over 50 but he showed his leadership skills at an early age. At 16 he was captain of Cardiff Rugby under 21's and by 21 he was responsible for over 300 engineers working in Cardiff Docks, a daunting task at such a youthful age. Cardiff's only 5 star luxury hotel is now built on the site of Mike's original office, in the famous lyrics of Otis Reading he was 'sitting on the dock of the bay'.

By 23 his managerial skills were recognised by one of Wales’ largest employers, Powell Duffryn Engineering, who subsequently recruited him to head up their quality control and customer service division. In the role Mike quickly established a team that was highly successful in winning a number of major contracts from the oil industry.

In 1980 VTG, a substantial customer of Powell Duffryn, head hunted Mike for the position of UK General Manager, based at their London head office. Still only 25 this was a life changing experience not only for Mike, but also for his wife Pat and his one year old son Lee. Mike moved to London and for the next 18 months only saw them at weekends. Eventually the family was re-united with the purchase of a house in Twyford.

Mike made one more career move before setting up Richards Gray. He became the Sales and Marketing Director of a robotic handling company based in Bournemouth. By this time his second child, Rhian had been born and again he was only seeing his family at weekends.

On the sale of the robotic handling company to the Post Office, Mike decided to look for something nearer home, and it was therefore 18 years ago, that Mike and John Gray founded Richards Gray, working out of the back bedroom on a single MFI desk. Mike had achieved his goal; he really was working near to his home!

The new Head Office is still very close to home and on most days Mike walks to work, a dream that he thought he would never achieve when making the long commutes from London to Cardiff and then from Twyford to the South Coast.

Mike enjoys all sport but his main passion is for rugby and he has been Match Manager of Henley Hawks for as long as most people can remember!