18-year-old Harris Aslam is vying for the top job of Chief Executive of Nisa retail, the member-owned convenience store empire with £1.6 billion of sales.
The teenaged entrepreneur already has a position of influence as he sits on the board as a non-executive director.
Aslam had left school when he was 13. With no formal qualifications, he received training through this family's grocery business. He was able to join Nisa’s board at 16 owing to its mutual model, which gives its hundreds of members the power to elect directors.
He has informed Nisa's chairman he may enter the race to succeed Neil Turton as Chief Executive, after stepping down from the nominations committee. Nisa is one of Britain's biggest private companies and supplies more than 1,000 independent shopkeepers with food and drinks. Currently it is going through turbulent times.
Harris Aslam and his cousin Raza Rehman came on board after a strong grass-roots campaign. They are known to have other supporters among the non-executives.
