Who is Dragons’ Den’s Jenny Campbell?

Jenny Campbell, founder of multi-million pound business YourCash Europe, joined the Dragons’ Den panel for its 15th series, alongside pharmaceutical entrepreneur Tej Lalvani.

Here are seven things you need to know about self-proclaimed “feisty Northerner” Campbell…

1. She has an extensive background in business and finance

The entrepreneur worked for high-street bank Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for 32 years across a variety of roles such as finance, sales, operations and risk and management, before purchasing ATM machine operator YourCash (which she re-named from Hanco) from RBS in 2010.

Campbell also comes from family of business owners and sole traders; including builders, bankers, and painters. Discussing her background on her blog, she says “the notion of hard work was instilled into her from an early age”; “when it was time for me to make a decision on my career they were really supportive.”

2. She’s an exited entrepreneur

After purchasing YourCash – a company which provides secure ATM machines to the retail market across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands – in 2010, Campbell grew the business to achieve annual turnover of more than £30m with over 5,000 ATMs in operation. The company also had more than 88 staff working from its Milton Keynes HQ and through its European sales force.

In October 2016, Campbell exited the business as part of a management buy-out to payment transaction firm Euronet Worldwide Inc. Campbell made £50m from the exit.

3. She’s not afraid to take risks

Some of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs are those that have not been afraid to put their homes, education and family life on the line to pursue a business venture.

Campbell is no different; she risked it all back in 2010 by re-mortgaging her home to finance the purchase of YourCash. In 2013, supported by a debt financing structure, Campbell undertook a secondary buy-out to exit the non-management shareholders which would enable her to become majority shareholder and take full control of the business.

When speaking to The Express last year, Campbell said the home re-mortgage was actually a pretty safe option:

“I had a vision for it and knew it had a future, so it was not such a risk as it appears. Our corporate roots gave us a strong operational foundation.”

4. She’s proof you don’t need a formal education to succeed in business

On her blog, Campbell explains that she shunned the decision to go into formal education at the age of 16 to join “the banking fraternity”.

This was a decision that quickly paid off as, by the age of 23, she had completed her banking qualifications and had been awarded a Chartered Institute of Bankers prize.

5. She follows the business mantra that “there is no such thing as glass ceilings, only sticky floors”

An avid supporter and champion of both female and male entrepreneurs, Campbell has gone to great efforts to help those with entrepreneurial spirit go far.

She is involved with two charities – Young Enterprise and Tomorrow’s People – which are focused on helping and mentoring young people who have the potential to succeed either in business, their careers, or both. Alongside her business mantra, Campbell also promotes the view that everyone should ‘#bethebestyoucanbe’.

6. She holds a number of esteemed awards to her name

Boasting a number of impressive accolades, Campbell was named Vitalise Business Woman of the Year in 2014 and has won the esteemed Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneur of the Year awards for both 2013 and 2014.

But that’s not all; in 2014, on the back of her business success, Campbell was admitted as a Freeman to the Guild of Entrepreneurs in the City of London.

7. She’s a dog lover

Outside of her work in the enterprise space, Campbell is a dog breeder and breeds and shows Flat Coated Retrievers at champion level. She is also an accredited breed judge.