| Navin Engineer | |
| Birth Name: | Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer |
| Birth Date: | May 1951 |
| Nationality: | British |
| Known For: | Founder and owner, Chemidex |
| Spouse: | Varsha Engineer |
| Children: | 2 |
Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer (born May 1951) is a British billionaire, the owner of Chemidex, a pharmaceutical company that he founded in 1981.
Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer was born in May 1951.[1] His father worked for the Kenyan civil service.[2] In 1963, he was sent from Kenya to London to live with his aunt, and later studied at the London School of Pharmacy.
Engineer's first job on graduation was a pharmacist for the Boots the Chemist chain, which he found "a little bit like the civil service"; one day he was shocked by a visiting area manager asking for a cup of tea when he was busy dispensing prescriptions, and resigned the same day.[3]
Chemidex was founded by Engineer and his wife in 1981, and is based in Egham, Surrey.[4]
In 1981, Chemidex opened its first pharmacy in Chertsey, Surrey. In 1999, he had 14 pharmacies which he sold to the German company Celesio for a reported £12 million.[3] [5] Chemidex then became a pharmaceutical company, and it acquired its first brand in 2000.[6]
According to The Sunday Times, the business is valued at £1 billion and Engineer at £1.1 billion.[7]
Engineer also set up the company Essential Generics, a drug manufacturer based in Egham, Surrey.[8] He resigned as a director of the company in 2013.[9]
He is married to Varsha Engineer. They have two children,[5] and both studied medicine.[3]