Inspiring The Extraordinary

Fraser Doherty

Using his grandmother’s jam recipes, Fraser set up his business at 14, hit the shelves at Waitrose at 18 and now supplies 2,000 supermarkets from Russia to Australia. He’s continuing to expand, and is also the co-founder of the world’s largest craft ale delivery business, Beer52. In speeches Fraser extols social enterprise and telling your own story, explains his approach to product development and innovation, and shows how to turn ordinary into extraordinary.

Jo Malone

As a teenager, Jo started her original cosmetics and fragrance range in her kitchen and grew it into a global luxury brand before selling her stake to Estée Lauder. She returned to the field with Jo Loves and became a regular in the media commenting on business and offering advice to entrepreneurs. In presentations she explores success and failure – confessing her need to rock the boat. Jo offers her take on growing any enterprise: “Ensure your team feel secure, but encourage them to take risks. Only then can you reach a new level.”

Dave Fishwick

When the van and minibus dealer decided he could do a better job than the local banks, the authorities told him it was impossible, even criminal. He pushed harder, set up Burnley Savings and Loans, and found himself starring in Channel 4’s Bank of Dave. There’s now a big queue of eager depositors and borrowers. In a real-life story of David and Goliath, with lessons for businesses big and small, he explains what made him take on seemingly insurmountable odds.

Jean Tomlin

Jean moved from Prudential, where she restructured the workforce and co-founded Egg, to retail at M&S and then to London 2012. As HR Director she had to mobilise 200,000 Gamesmakers and build a team to pull off a hugely complex task under intense media scrutiny. In speeches Jean underlines the need for a detailed engagement plan and for directors “to get stuck in.” Ensure everybody buys into the mission – but allow them to be themselves.