Motivational Business Speakers – Page 3

Nick Leeson

Long before it became fashionable, the original ‘rogue trader’ lost £860m of Barings’ money - and spent four years in a Singapore jail. Nick tells his compelling and still cautionary tale without making any excuses for his wrong-doing.

Piers Linney

Embracing AI, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and the future of work, Piers draws on his varied experiences to explore strategy, the use of AI, and leading through change. A champion of diversity and inclusion, he also considers how inclusive leadership combined with digital transformation can unlock performance, resilience and long-term growth.

Dr Leroy Logan

After spending three decades in the police force and seeing the structural inequalities within the system, Leroy has become a leading voice on improving working environments for BAME officers and enhancing the quality of service to non-white communities. He is one of the founders of the Black Police Association and author of Closing Ranks, a memoir and call to action to increase initiatives and support for vulnerable and underprivileged youths. More widely he examines themes of change, personal and team resilience, and leadership.

Patty McCord

The author of Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility spent 14 years at Netflix experimenting with new ways to work, motivate, reward and structure. Patty was responsible for the famed Netflix culture deck becoming a reality. The summary of company values and employee freedoms went on to influence businesses around the world.

Linda Moir

Before taking on the London 2012 role, Linda’s task was to make flying fun as Head of Customer Service at Virgin Atlantic – focusing on low cost, high value. She applied the same principle of ‘magic touches’ at the Olympics, organising 15,000 Games Makers and contractors to host 9 million spectators. Linda offers practical examples of the critical gains to be had by engaging both front of house teams and those who drive the engine of the organisation.

Gary Neville

In almost 20 years at Manchester United (including five as club captain) Gary became one of the most decorated English players of all time, winning 20 major trophies including two Champions’ League and eight Premier League titles. Noted for his work ethic and professionalism he has become a popular pundit and analyst on Sky Sports, has coached including a spell as England assistant manager, and has notably built an impressive business portfolio including extensive property interests.

Håkan Nordkvist

Håkan is the former Head of Sustainability Innovation at the IKEA Group. His role was to transform IKEA and create value for its customers by identifying opportunities and enabling and building transformational sustainability driven business solutions.

Blaire Palmer

Blaire draws on more than twenty years’ experience challenging, provoking, and guiding senior leaders as they try to figure out how their people and organisations can thrive in fast-changing times. Covering hybrid working, empowerment and engagement, diversity and equity, leadership and motivation, and anticipating future work trends, she busts myths about leadership and change, and stimulates audiences with real life stories and fresh ideas to rethink what it means to lead in the twenty first Century. She is Chief Executive of the leadership consultancy That People Thing.

Rt Hon Lord (Mark) Price

After 30 years at John Lewis, including ten as MD of Waitrose and three as Deputy Chairman of the group, Mark left business for government serving as a trade minister. He then compiled his experiences in his book Fairness for All, in which he makes the business and social case for companies to put their employees at the heart of what they do. He also brought together examples of excellence, as well as poor and bewildering business behaviour in his entertaining yet salutary book Workplace Fables. He is now focused on employee engagement - what it means, how to achieve it, and why it's...

Lord (Stuart) Rose

Stuart took over the reins at Marks & Spencer when the famous retailer was at its lowest ebb. He fought off a high profile takeover bid, reversed the decline in performance and restored the public’s affections. He now invests in online and chairs a fashion chain. In presentations Stuart considers the lessons learned about organisational change, and how to navigate turbulent trading conditions. He also underlines the case for socially responsible business.

Jez Rose

Jez leads the research faculty of The Good Life Project Farm, and builds training programmes for well known organisations. With plenty of energy he tackles change management, working environment and human behaviour.

Susannah Schofield

Susannah built businesses and created innovation initially as part of the Royal Mail brand. She’s since set up and sold a business, advised the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and devised the Dice Matrix business model, set out in detail in her book Mind The Gap. Susannah currently is the only female licensed boxing promoter, a role she has taken up to deliver change in an unregulated sector. In her talks Susannah offers thought provoking strategies to ensure audiences challenge their normal, look at the world differently and strive for improvement out of th...

Jeremy Schwartz

Jeremy has been a CEO of global consumer brands and ecom-focused retailers, and has led a number of business transformations. In his talks he shares the secrets to success with the turnarounds of Pandora and Sainsbury's and L’Oréal’s journey to market leadership in the UK.

Sir Tim Smit

Since it opened at the turn of the millennium, Eden has attracted millions of visitors and generated over £1bn for the local economy. Tim is now focusing on overseas projects, including plans to develop a giant botanical garden in an old industrial city in southern China. In his presentation Tim highlights the need to lead by example, to stick to principles but move out of your comfort zone, to meet challenges head on, and “to dare to be ambitious.”

Hamish Taylor

Hamish led brand management at BA before taking over as CEO at Eurostar and Sainsbury’s Bank. In his presentation he shows how the balance has shifted from needing information about customers to fully engaging with them – building your entire offering around what you can do for them. He believes that the most powerful breakthroughs come by looking outside your own sector to see how others deal with your problem areas.

Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan has had an eventful decade since he helped unearth evidence of multi-million-dollar corruption at his former employer, Dutch based multinational SBM Offshore. He has been an FBI informant, key witness in Brazil’s carwash corruption mega-scandal, received an Interpol Red Notice, and was awarded the Blueprint Prize for Whistleblowing. In speeches, Jonathan shows how the world is not yet equipped for whistleblowers and offers an understanding of corruption at the highest levels of international society.

Will.i.am

Songwriter, singer, producer, actor, entrepreneur and founder member of The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am has worked with musicians from U2 to Nicki Minaj. Away from music he has maintained a long-term interest in technology working as creative director at Intel and CCO at a 3D printing and scanning company, and working on projects including apps, iPhone accessories and smart watches. He was even the first artist to stream a song to Mars.

Maria Witchell

With a career that has involved leadership roles in both the military and banking (as well as being a polar explorer and hostage negotiator), Maria has a wealth of experience working and leading in high-pressure environments.