We've Welcomed 5 New Ambassadors to the FRA!

At the Fashion Retail Academy, we're excited to announce the appointment of five new industry ambassadors as we celebrate 20 years of shaping the future of fashion and retail. These respected leaders, each bringing unique expertise and experience across the retail industry, will help us create even more opportunities for our students.

Our Story So Far

Founded in 2005 by industry giants – Marks & Spencer, Next, Tesco’s F&F, Arcadia and Experian – the FRA was created to prepare students for head office roles within the fashion and retail sectors.

Since then, we've:

• Trained over 16,000 students for entry-level roles across the industry 
• Achieved a strong progression rate, with 94% of further education students moving into work or continuing study within six months of completing their course
• Partnered with over 250 brands, from high-street favourites to high-end luxury brands, ensuing our training is always industry-relevant 

In 2024, we welcomed Lord Rose as our first Patron. A long-standing and influential supporter of the FRA, Lord Rose was CEO of Marks & Spencer when the retailer became one of our founding partners. 

Our New Ambassadors

We have recently welcomed the following ambassadors:

• Ian McGarrigle, Founder & Chairman, World Retail Congress
• Martin Newman, Renowned Speaker, Author, Educator & Advisor to the retail industry
• Hash Ladha, Prominent Retail Leader & Former CEO of Jigsaw
• Rokeya Khanum White, Fashion Designer & Founder of Khanum’s
• Liam Price, Global Ecommerce Director, AllSaints & John Varvatos

These ambassadors reflect the very best of the retail industry and will help us continue our mission of inspiring and developing the next generation of retail leaders. To find out more, please visit our Patron & Ambassadors page. 

How They Will Support the FRA

Our new ambassadors will:

• Champion our mission and amplify our voice within the industry
• Create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation
• Inspire students with their knowledge, insight and experience

A Message From Our CEO and Principal

Lee Lucas, CEO and Principal of the FRA, shared: “Our deep connections with industry have always been a core pillar of our success in creating the next generation of fashion and retail leaders, and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate and showcase our most committed supporters by formally recognising their importance to us.

We’re delighted that in our milestone 20th anniversary year we can look forward to working with Martin, Ian, Hash, Rokeya and Liam to continue shaping the future of our industry as we enter our third decade.”