This is what TV3′s biography has to say about Bill Cullen. Born in the rough inner city slums of Summerhill in Dublin in 1942 Bill was one of fourteen children. By the time he turned six he was selling items such as fruit, flowers, Christmas decorations and match programmes on the streets of Dublin to help support his family. This is where Bill Cullen honed his sales pitch and learnt how to turn a profit on even the smallest item.
At the age of 13 he left school and just one year later in 1956 entered the car industry as a messenger boy for the Walden Motor Company. His background as a trader on the streets proved to be a remarkable training ground as he quickly moved through the ranks to become the director general of the company within an astonishing nine years. He then went on to set up the Fairline Motor Company, which for a time was the biggest Ford dealer in Ireland.
Bill’s rags-to-riches story was cemented in 1986 when he took a gamble and paid just £1 for the ailing Renault Irish franchise from Waterford Crystal. Seeing a golden opportunity, and more importantly a challenge, he took on the company’s debts and turned its fortunes around as the Glencullen Group, which now has an annual turnover of €450million.
In 2002, after being encouraged by the late playwright and author John B. Keane, Bill published his autobiographical novel It’s A Long Way From Penny Apples. The book went on to become an international best seller. His second book Golden Apples - Six Simple Steps To Success was launched in 2005 and became a number one best seller in Ireland.
In April 2006, Bill was awarded the distinction of Chevalier De La Légion D’Honneur by decree of the President of the French Republic. This honour was bestowed on Bill for his leadership in the turnaround of Renault Ireland from near bankruptcy. His success has delivered estimated sales of €3billion for Renault products in the past twenty years.
Today, Bill isn’t just an author or ‘Mr Renault’. He is President of the Irish Youth Foundation, which raises €1.5million a year for youth projects in Ireland, giving opportunities to achieve for kids like he once was.
Now Bill is offering up the opportunity to change someone’s life and give them the chance to break into the business world under his watchful eye.