Nik Powell

Nik Powell (born 4 November 1950) is one of the co-founders of the Virgin Group with Richard Branson. After operating a mail-order company, a small record shop, and a recording studio, the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. It became one of the UK's major recording labels until it was sold to EMI in 1992.

Biography

Born in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England, Powell was educated first at Longacre School, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey, moving when he was seven to a small Catholic preparatory school, St. Richard's in Little Malvern, outside Malvern. From there he went to Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire, and subsequently spent a year at the University of Sussex.

In 1983, Powell and Stephen Woolley founded Palace Productions, which produced The Company of Wolves (1984), Mona Lisa (1986), and The Crying Game (1992). After presiding over the 1992 collapse of the company, Powell re-established himself in the film industry with Scala Productions and has since produced Fever Pitch, Twenty Four Seven, Last Orders, B. Monkey, and Ladies in Lavender.

Powell currently is director of the National Film and Television School in England while maintaining his position as chairman of Scala Productions.

Personal life

Powell's marriage to Merrill Tomassi, the sister of Richard Branson's first wife, ended in divorce. He then married singer Sandie Shaw and helped relaunch her career. They had two children, Amie and Jack, before divorcing in the early 1990s.

External links

• Nik Powell at the Internet Movie Database