Richard Branson: Like a Virgin

diversification 67, 68, 95, 106, 156, 253-6, 302

older people, employing 93-7

focus on green sector 116, 274

focus of 68

management structure, decentralised 60, 156

name 13

rationale behind approach of 44

Stars of the Year dinner 90, 259

‘stick to what you know’ and 68

vertical disintegration 156, 253-4

see also under individual company/subsidiary name

Virgin Limited Edition 317

Virgin Media 189, 190, 246, 250, 294

Virgin Megastores 58-9, 206, 235-6

Virgin Mobile 37, 68, 151, 189, 210, 246, 250, 255

Virgin Money 23, 39, 61-2, 100, 201, 207, 210, 243-4, 281, 308

credit card 61-2, 293

Giving 210

London Marathon and 308

Northern Rock and see Northern Rock

Virgin Saver 62

Virgin Music 56, 58-9, 125, 206, 235-6, 291-2 see also Virgin Records

Virgin Pulse 197-8

Virgin Rail 137

Virgin Records 236, 237, 254, 29, 320

birth of 150, 226, 302

communication and 167-8

delegation in 72-3

first shop 57

handshake deals 278-9

sale of 284

small size as an advantage 32

staff 16-17

Virgin Retail 235

Virgin Trains 19, 138, 139, 245

Virgin Unite 29, 179, 209-10, 307, 312, 328

Virji, Shezad 106

visible, be 12-13, 27, 91, 316

Voyager 180

walkabout, manager/CEO 134-6, 166-8, 202

Walsh, Willie 116

Warner Brothers Records 129

Warren, Doug 206

water 147, 211, 274, 275-6, 310

Wax, Ruby 7

‘we’ and ‘they’ 52-5

weakest link, the 22-5

web-based businesses 129-33

websites 76-8, 129, 248, 249

West Coast Main Line 137, 304

Westpac Banking Corporation 61

work-life balance 96, 241, 289-92, 306, 308, 314-17

Williamson, Phil 259-60

wind energy 147, 275

Zuckerberg, Mark 164

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First published in the United Kingdom by Virgin Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing 2012

First published in the United States of America by Portfolio/Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 2012

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Copyright © Richard Branson, 2012

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ISBN: 978-1-101-60317-8

Printed in the United States of America

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