Born and bred in the rough inner city slums of Summerhill in Dublin, Bill was one of fourteen children. Selling on the streets from the age of six, be it fruit, flowers, newspapers, Christmas decorations, football colours, or programs, was a means of putting food on the table for Bill and his family. He finished school at thirteen to go on the street full-time.
In 1956 Bill got a job as a messenger boy for a pound a week at Waldens Ford Dealer in Dublin. Through hard work and unrelenting determination, Bill was appointed director general of the company in 1965.
Bill went on to set up the Fairlane Motor Company, which became the biggest Ford dealership in Ireland.
In 1986 he took over the troubled Renault car distribution franchise from Waterford Crystal. As Chairman and owner of Renault Ireland, his turnaround of the company into what became the Glencullen Group was a business success story – the group had an annual turnover of €350 million. In November 2007 Renault France acquired the Renault car distribution franchise from the Glencullen Group. Bill Cullen, however, continues as a leading figure in the Irish Motor Industry selling the Renault range in the six Renault dealerships of the Bill Cullen Motor Group
Bill is also the Chairman of Europa Academy, President of the Irish Youth Foundation and in 1998 was a recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Award for his work with the disadvantaged young people of Dublin.
He is a trustee of Children’s Hour Fund (Irl), Trustee of Bill Cullen Sunshine Fund, Director of Forest Health Centres, Chairman of Lifetime Success Institute, Dublin Aviation Authority Director and Best Selling Author of “Penny Apples” and “Golden Apples” (proceeds of which go to the Irish Youth Foundation).
In May 2005, Bill was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws at National University of Ireland, Maynooth. In September 2004 Bill was awarded the inaugural Princess Grace Humanitarian Award. In addition, Bill Cullen has spent many hours giving motivational seminars for school children, university students and the business community.
