CEO Mike Norris runs Computacenter, Europe’s largest reseller of computing goods. He’s been an entrepreneur since his teenage years… and he has dyslexia.
Norris was born and raised in Essex. He struggled with literacy as soon as he started school. However, he was labeled as gifted in mathematics. Numbers came so naturally to him, but letters just didn’t make sense.
“I failed my 11+ test… I failed my English O-level on five occasions!” he said in an interview.
His headteacher sat his parents down and told them that Norris would never be able to go to university, and that they should prepare themselves for his failure. But they didn’t give up. Norris starting working with a tutor, who diagnosed the reading difficulty and worked a deal with the school for Norris to have extra time on exams.
He proved his critics wrong when he gained a place at university and graduated a few years later. It was there he discovered his ability with (and love for!) computers.
Norris was hired at a computing business right out of university and climbed his way through the ranks over the years. He now runs Computacenter, a massive business with a £1.9 billion pound annual turnover!
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Sarah Forrest is a Literacy Specialist for the Easyread System, an innovative online program for children with reading difficulties, dyslexia, auditory processing issues and more. Get a free 10-day trial at www.easyreadsystem.com
