Gordon Roddick

Gordon is a social activist and entrepreneur.

In 1976 he helped to found The Body Shop with his late wife Anita, which started as just a single shop in Brighton. As Co-Chairman until 2002, Gordon came up with the idea of ‘self-financing’ more new stores, thus enabling the growth of the franchise network. The Body Shop now has over 2,400 stores in 61 countries with a range of over 1,200 products – all animal cruelty-free.

In 1991 Gordon co-funded the launch of The Big Issue, a charity that aimed to fight homelessness through the sale of its eponymous magazine. Today its mission has expanded to encompass jobs, education, training and health.

Gordon also supported the founding of The Day Chocolate Company, which produces Fairtrade chocolate brand Divine. Divine is made from the cocoa of a co-operative of 40,000 growers in Ghana called Kuapa Kokoo.

Gordon is a founder of the Roddick Foundation, which provides grants to help fund groups fighting for social justice. The Roddick Foundation continues Gordon’s support of the Angola 3, for whom he has been a staunch activist since 2002. Gordon is also currently Chair of the campaigning group 38 Degrees.