About Rob
Rob was born on 11th September 1979 in Hemel Hempstead. He attended Beaumont school in St Albans and then went on to study computer science at Liverpool University. Rob worked briefly for Enzyme web design company before deciding to focus entirely on Dolphin Music.
At school Rob is remembered for being more popular amongst his peers than with the teachers. He excelled in every sport to which he turned his hand; representing Hertfordshire in rugby and football, and competing in all-England Schools athletics. He also took a certain personal satisfaction from holding a yet unbeaten county Shot-put record. Always one with a goal, Rob’s early career plans included becoming a builder, (aged 
and a chef (aged 16). When he surprised everyone with brilliant A-level results, he decided that the building trade would survive sufficiently long without him to allow him time to undertake a degree course at Liverpool University.
Rob started Dolphin Music with some school friends, selling stock from his bedroom. Always ahead of the game, Rob was avidly studying business magazines while still at school and was developing websites while his contemporaries and tutors alike were still puzzled by such new and confusing technology. With his friend and business partner Jason, Dolphin continued to develop under Rob’s dedicated drive: sacrificing every spare moment they had to build the company to the point at which they could take it on full time. Rob was always fascinated by new marketing ideas and quick to catch on to new trends Anyone who has worked with him will bear testament to his willingness to take responsibility, make hard decisions, and to graft the long hard hours required to build a successful business.
Rob’s achievements did not go unnoticed. In December 2007 Dolphin Music was named in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list for the second year running and listed as the 37th fastest growing company in the UK, and the only retailer to appear in the list. In the 2008 Kickstart Awards, Dolphin Music was presented with an award for Best Performing Business, and then in September 2008, Rob was awarded the Young Director of the Year award by the prestigious Institute of Directors. Rob was also profiled in the Telegraph in December 2008, and in January the same year, Rob was invited to Number 10 Downing Street for discussions with Gordon Brown regarding enterprise and small business.
With Rob’s vision and drive, Dolphin continued to grow; establishing a head office and a flagship store in Liverpool and then expanding further to include shops in, Huddersfield and Gateshead. Dolphin now employs 64 people and has plans for further expansion in Europe, America and the Far East.
Rob had many plans and ambitions. He aspired to develop Dolphin into a globally established enterprise, study business at Harvard University, and one day, to drive a bright yellow Porsche.
Rob was a great supporter of schemes to help give young people the opportunity to establish themselves in the business world. He was an ambassador for the Government’s ‘Make your mark’ initiative and a keen supporter of the Princes Trust; a charity which has set up a Memorial Fund for Rob to support young enterprise. (www.princes-trust.org.uk/robwilliams.)
Other links:
The Dolphin website
www.dolphinmusic.co.uk
Rob was an ambassador for the governments make your mark scheme.
http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/inspiring_stories/jason_tavaria__rob_williams
Rob was invited to No.10 Downing street for a discussion on enterprise and small business with Gordon Brown
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page14271
Rob was in a business supplement in the times last year
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3552111.ece
And in the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/businesstruth/3796207/Online-Exclusive-Why-Dolphin-Music-took-stock.html