Sir Andrew William Graham Wylie CBE (born 12 August 1959) is a British businessman and co-founder of Sage Group, the United Kingdom's largest software business.
Graham Wylie | |
---|---|
Born | Andrew William Graham Wylie[1] 12 August 1959[2] |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Sage Group Technology Services Group |
Early life
Wylie was raised in the North East of England, the son of a Scottish miner from Stirling; Wylie's mother was originally from Hawick.[3] In 1980, Wylie attained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Statistics from Newcastle University.[3]
Career
In 1981 Wylie co-founded Sage Group with David Goldman and Paul Muller, having programmed the initial Sage accounts package himself.[4] The Sage Group quickly grew to be a successful worldwide financial software company and is the only software company listed on the FTSE 100. In 2003, Wylie sold his stake in Sage for an estimated £195 million.[5][6]
In October 2003, Wylie founded Technology Services Group and in the following years expanded that company primarily through acquisition.[7]
Speedflex (Europe) Ltd was formed in 2011 by chairman Wylie, Paul Ferris and Alan Shearer.[8]
Wylie was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours[1] and was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to business and charity.[9] He has been awarded honorary doctorates by Northumbria University in 2000 and Newcastle University in 2004.[10][11] He has been awarded the freedom of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Personal life
In 2003 Wylie married his second wife, Andrea Wylie. He and his wife also own a number of racehorses and Close House (a mansion with golf course).[12] Wylie's horses have raced at some of the sport's most prestigious events including the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival, where they have won on 13 different occasions.[13][14]
Wylie and his wife purchased Gosforth Shopping Centre for £9.25 million and sold the development more than a decade later for £12.25 million.[15][16]
Wylie has his own charitable foundation, the "Graham Wylie Foundation", which reportedly gives away 100% of donations to its chosen causes.[17]