Navin Engineer

Engineer's first job on graduation was a pharmacist for the Boots the Chemist chain, which he found "a little bit like the civil service"; one day he was shocked by a visiting area manager asking for a cup of tea when he was busy dispensing prescriptions, and resigned the same day.^[4]

Chemidex was founded by Engineer and his wife in 1981, and is based in Egham, Surrey.^[5]

In 1981, Chemidex opened its first pharmacy in Chertsey, Surrey. In 1999, he had 14 pharmacies which he sold to the German company Celesio for a reported £12 million.^[4][6] Chemidex then became a pharmaceutical company, and it acquired its first brand in 2000.^[7]

According to The Sunday Times, the business is valued at £1 billion and Engineer at £1.1 billion.^[3]

Engineer also set up the company Essential Generics, a drug manufacturer based in Egham, Surrey.^[8] He resigned as a director of the company in 2013.^[9]

He is married to Varsha Engineer.^[3] They have two children,^[6] and both studied medicine.^[4]