Chrissie Rucker (born 6 November 1968) is a British businesswoman, best known for founding British retailer

The White Company ''The White Company'' is a historical adventure novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, set during the Hundred Years' War. The story is set in England, France and Spain, in the years 1366 and 1367, against the background of the campaign of ...

in 1994. Because of her self-made success story and the similar products, she has been compared to

Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...

. Rucker is also a founding patron of the not-for-profit social enterprise, woman supporting women, The Princes Trust. Rucker's husband Nicholas Wheeler founded

Charles Tyrwhitt Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts Limited ( ), also known as CT Shirts, is a British Multichannel retailing, multi-channel men's clothing retailer specialising in dress shirts, ties, suits, casualwear, shoes and Fashion accessory, accessories. It was found ...

, a menswear chain. Rucker was appointed a MBE in 2010 and in 2012 was chosen as Private Businesswoman of the Year by the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

''. She and her husband were each appointed

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

for their business success in December 2017.

Personal life

Rucker was born in

Edenbridge, Kent Edenbridge is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Sevenoaks (district), Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. Its name derives from Old English ''Eadhelmsbrigge'' (meaning "Eadhelm's Bridge"). It is located on the border of ...

. Rucker is married with four children to Nicholas Wheeler. Their collective net worth was estimated at £427 million according to the ''

Sunday Times Rich List The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and has been published as a magazine supplement by British national ...

'' in 2020. Together they live in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

and also own a chalet in

Klosters Klosters is a Switzerland, Swiss village in the Prättigau, politically part of the Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of Klosters-Serneus, which belongs to the political district Prättigau/Davos Region, Prättigau/Davos in the Cantons o ...

, Switzerland, named Haus Alpina.

References

1968 births Living people British retail company founders Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Edenbridge, Kent Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire {{UK-business-bio-1960s-stub