William Bissell is the Managing Director of Fabindia, an Indian chain store retailing garments, furnishings, fabrics and ethnic products handmade by craftspeople across rural India. When Bissell took over Fabindia, following in his father’s footsteps, he immediately refocused the group away from exports to India’s domestic market. Over the... Read more
William Bissell is the Managing Director of Fabindia, an Indian chain store retailing garments, furnishings, fabrics and ethnic products handmade by craftspeople across rural India.
When Bissell took over Fabindia, following in his father’s footsteps, he immediately refocused the group away from exports to India’s domestic market. Over the next three decades Bissell grew Fabindia from an unlisted Indian ethnic wear chain, from just two retail locations in Delhi, to over 117 stores.
As well as dramatically expanding the company’s retail locations, Bissell added a non-textile range in 2000 and organic foods in 2004, personal care products in 2006 and handcrafted jewellery in 2008.
In 1992 William Bissell and his father, John Bissell, established the Fabindia School. The recognised the need for a model school to empower young people in rural Rajasthan where literacy rates are extremely low, especially amongst women. The school started with just 11 students and now has over 500. The school views primary education as a major stepping stone towards social mobility and is a non-religious, non-profit school.
Following his graduation from Wesleyan University in the US in 1988, William Bissell spent several years in Jodhpur working with local artisans and assisting in the formation of various weavers cooperatives. When Bissell took over Fabindia he introduced an artisan shareholder system through supply-region companies, incorporated as subsidiaries, to address the imbalance between artisan pay and retail profits. The craftspeople collectively own 26 percent of the equity in each company, with Artisans Micro Finance, a Fabindia arm holding 49 percent and employees and other private investors holding the balance.
In 2009 the company acquired a 25 percent stake in UK based ethnic womenswear retailer East.
In 2012, L Capital, the private equity arm of LVMH, bought an 8 percent stake in Fabindia from Wolfensohn Partners.
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You can book William Bissell through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with William's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
William Bissell's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for William tailored to your event.
William Bissell speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with William to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book William Bissell for events worldwide, subject to William's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether William Bissell is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what William can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief William Bissell on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what William can offer.
William Bissell delivers keynotes in Hindi. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
William Bissell's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of William's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
William Bissell can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of William's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what William Bissell is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with William Bissell, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check William's current availability for your dates.