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John Crowther

John Crowther

Founding Board Member

In 1995, John agreed to join the Board of what is now Dunelm-USA. At the time he was the Founding President of The North American Foundation for the University of Leeds. He retired from the DunelmUSA Board as Vice President and Secretary in 2017. John continues to serve as an emeritus advisor to the current Board and officers.

Academic Life

John went up to Durham in 1961 to study Mathematics at University College. He was a keen soccer player and played for the University – then known as Durham Colleges – and was awarded colours for his College team. John was Treasurer of the Mathematics Club and involved in several groups and undergraduate societies. He made several lifelong friends at Durham, as then VC Professor Sir Derman Christopherson predicted most students would during his fresher’s week address to the new student body

Professional life

After leaving Durham, John moved down to Leeds where he completed a Masters and PhD in Mathematical Physics and in Mathematics respectively, before completing a postdoctoral fellowship with English Electric. He held positions at Mars Ltd. and Avon Products Inc prior to relocating with Avon in 1973 to the United States. He joined Revlon Inc. in New York where he rose to become a Corporate Vice President. In 1982, John was awarded an APC from New York University Graduate School of Business Administration. John founded two independent corporations, Dunelm International in 1988, and later in a partnership with Professor Sir Alan Wilson then VC at the University of Leeds and founder of GMAP Inc., he founded Geomodel Inc. in 1989. Geomodel was sold in the early 1990’s. After a further 26 years in business consultancy John retired in 2016.

Social and Family life

John married his American wife, Steffie, in 1988. They have two grown children both of whom attended The University of St Andrews in Scotland: a daughter, Ludmila who resides in the UK, and a son Julian. John is a member of the Anglican/Episcopal Church. John and his family founded and supported a bursary/ scholarship at University College.