Richard Paice
Honorary fellowship
Year conferred: 2005
While at Oxford University, Richard Paice read Chemistry, but his focus was on the world of international business. Vacations were spent behind the Iron Curtain, Iran, Libya and Central America. At the same time he took language courses at the Oxford Polytechnic. This helped his entry to the multilingual business school, INSEAD, at Fontainebleau where he subsequently took an MBA.
After travelling the length of Africa overland, at 25, he joined his father's shoe importing business in London. The early years were spent setting up offices in Holland, Germany and Portugal, with extended management experience in Spain.
At 37, his father stepped aside and Richard took over running the business, ISA (Holdings) Ltd, with offices now spread from Brazil to Bombay and the Far East.
The company's success enabled him to establish the ISA Charity and as a result the Elias Ashmole Travel Prize was first awarded at Brookes in 1990 to encourage others to follow his philosophy that 'travel broadens the mind'. He wanted others to explore the diversity of the world and enhance their personal development.
Richard Paice was a founder member of the University Court until 2010, a supporter of the University's Enterprise Centre, and is a dedicated member of the Alumni Mentoring Scheme.
