Maverick genius with a taste for hard work

Arthur Ryan made perhaps the greatest journey in retail history: from a single store in an unpromising location to an ever-expanding multinational phenomenon. His success is all the more remarkable when you consider his account of those lean early days.

He was poached from Dunnes Stores by Garfield Weston, the head of the family dynasty that founded Penneys and who still has a pivotal role in its management today. Over dinner with the ...