William McGrath

William McGrath is a man with a sense of the past - the advent of the Industrial Revolution in 1709 and the invention of the modern cooker in 1830 stand out - and a mission to use this sense of heritage to ensure continuing success for the lifestyle brands that make up the AGA Rangemaster Group, where he is Chief Executive. 

It was at AGA's own foundry in Shropshire that the Industrial Revolution began and today the same site is forging a bright new future. At the forefront of the drive into this brave new world is the new AGA Total Control, the first ever AGA cooker with an on/off switch and a touch-screen control panel that allows for complete user programming.

AGA Total Control is already cooking up a storm internationally and with other leading lifestyle brands such as La Cornue and Fired Earth in the corporate mix, McGrath has migrated some way from a career recipe of investment banking and civil engineering. He sees the future belonging to ‘the long tale' of niche brands able to explain themselves and win friends online.

WILLIAM'S FAVOURITE SITES

When Saturday Comes - For football fans who listened up in English at school and are still somewhat surprised that their local team matters so much to them. The daily comments and the book reviews are recommended and the back catalogue has Champions' League quality writing which is at its best on glory and death in the underworld of the Football League. I can resort to www.bristolrovers.co.uk where last year's rationalisation of failure and related relegation has moved onto ‘hope springs eternal' for next season.

Martha Stewart - Martha Stewart once said "Many people in Britain say they could not live without an AGA.  Nor could I."  No crime to have a soft spot for her and her website which is determinedly tasteful and remorselessly sensible rather like our own John Lewis. Turn to Jamie "It's time for an AGA" Oliver (www.jamieoliver.com) for just a hint of attitude. 

Housetohome - Having cross segment design ability - now that's real talent as flair players like Nick Munro's website shows (www.nickmunro.com). For a wider finger on the interiors pulse in kitchen living, then Housetohome  is a greatest hits compilation of the best of IPC magazines like 25 Beautiful Homes.  Counting up how many cookers made by us are featured in there is always too much of a temptation.

Divertimenti - So exactly what's that for? Only the Divertimenti website explains what a mushroom knife is and what to do with it.  Divertimenti, the Hamleys of cookware, is our most energetic website covering tales from the cookery school and the ‘look what we've found' enthusiasm for cookery gadgets.

Runners World - Edinburgh, Bath, Birmingham. Been there, got the T-Shirt and the photos for taking marathons in halves. There is a fantastic, sometimes fast-moving world of mass runs which are very well marshalled by Runners World. Useful for light exercise through to Olympic training schedules.       
                                           
Office for National Statistics - This website gives you the ‘bloody hell - this is a really good moment' feeling. Everything you need to create public policy is here, from social trends to health stats and public sector finance, and it's extremely well explained. So that's where the work of all those high IQ civil servants is to be found. The well-flagged upgrades to the site coming at the end of August should be a real treat.

9 August 2011