The audience at Bournemouth Collegiate School were enthralled as they listened to guest speaker, Jack Romero, 
and heard his fascinating story.
Jack was just 17 when he fled Beirut during the Civil War in 1979 with just £90 to his name. Nearly 30 years later, the successful businessman’s own airline was sold for a staggering £30million.
BCS was delighted to welcome Jack as their first guest speaker in their newly launched Lecture Series Programme and the School’s dining room was packed to capacity with parents, pupils and members of the local business community.
Persistent, persuasive and relentless are three words that the former Cranfield University student, uses to describe himself.
Jack launched British Mediterranean Airways (BMED) from Heathrow in 1994, on its first flight to Beirut with a brand new airbus aircraft. The airline grew and operated nine aircraft, employed 750 staff and won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2004.
It flew to over 30 destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. BMI Airlines bought BMED in February 2007 for £30m.
Jack says, “Failure was not an option. The only thought in my mind was to succeed and the only thing that would stop me was death!”
Jack beat thousands of hopefuls to feature on BBC 1’s My Story Documentary in 2010.
Jack has now changed his career path to social investments and charitable endeavours and has set up his own social enterprise called, “The Cathedral Turnaround Foundation” www.ctaf.org.uk He feels it is time to give back what he has taken from his life’s experiences and pass on his hard earned knowledge and skills to the new generation of young entrepreneurs.
BCS Principal, Stephen Duckitt said, “It was wonderful to welcome Jack to Bournemouth Collegiate School. He has certainly inspired the School community with his amazing story, passion and business initiative. We are looking forward to working with Jack on other entrepreneurial projects within the School.”
Year 12 Business Studies Student, Emily Wells commented, “It was very inspirational and motivational to listen to Jack. I spoke to him later about a business idea that I have and he gave me some brilliant advice and guidance.”
Jack added, “I was incredibly impressed at the thought provoking questions being asked by the BCS pupils, their level of interests in business and keenness to achieve more makes me look forward to their contributions to our society/country, one day!”