Angus Grossart

Sir Angus McFarlane McLeod Grossart CBE (born 6 April 1937) is a Scottish businessman.

Born in Lanarkshire, he was schooled at The Glasgow Academy and studied law at Glasgow University. He proudly recalls honing his business skills at a Barrowlands stall selling reject toffee.

He is chairman and executive director of Edinburgh-based merchant bank Noble Grossart.

His many high-profile positions have included: vice chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland; chairman of the board of trustees, National Galleries of Scotland, 1988–97; chairman of the Fine Art Society; and chairman of Lyon & Turnbull, auctioneers.

Career

Grossart serves as a non-executive chairman of Sunday Mail Ltd. and Scottish Daily Record; he also served as a non-executive chairman of Edinburgh Partners Limited. Grossart serves as a chairman for Edinburgh US Tracker Trust PLC. He serves as deputy chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. In March 2000, Grossart served as vice-chairman of National Westminster Bank PLC. Salmon River Capital LLC has Grossart serve as a member of the advisory board. The National Westminster Bank PLC has Grossart serve as a Director.

On 29 May 1973, Grossart had been a member of the Audit Committee and became the Director for Edinburgh US Tracker Trust PLC. He eventually became a trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. In September 1999, Grossart became a non-executive director for Trinity Mirror PLC and Mirror Group since 1998. In May 1998, Grossart served as a non-executive director for Scottish and Newcastle PlC.

One of Scotland’s richest men, he has been accused of cashing in on coronavirus after his firm inflated the price of face masks. Estimated to be worth £446million, he owns medical supplies company Wright Cottrell through his merchant bank. The Dundee-based firm is Scotland’s leading supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS dentists. A box of 50 masks cost £1.50 before the country went into lockdown in March, but an order for Wrights’ own-brand masks was as much as £24.95 as of 10/5/2020.

The company trades as Wright Cottrell but is officially known as Wright Health Care Limited.It is owned by Grossart’s merchant bank, Noble Grossart, which he set up in 1969. He is listed as the company’s chairman and one of four directors. Wrights reported pre-tax profits of £3million last year and also operates in the United States, South Africa and Hungary.

Wrights has also increased other PPE prices.Gloves which used to cost £5 for 200 are now being sold at £6.95 a box – an increase of nearly 40 per cent.