The Best Business Speakers

Deborah Meaden

Star of Dragon’s Den and one of the most successful businesswomen in the UK, Deborah Meaden is a recognisable face of success in the business world. She uses her own private experiences, as well as those televised to provide insights into the progression and development of each business.

Having provided over £3 million in investments on Dragon’s Den, Deborah has televised her knowledgeable yet personal likability publicly, as she helps others to achieve. She also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013; where she showcased how she is not just a serious businesswoman, but also has a fun and enthused character.

If you’re seeking someone who is recognisable to the masses, Deborah Meaden is an ideal candidate. Some of her experiences and knowledge have made it onto the screen, and she is able to develop these and share them further in her talks.

Dame Inga Beale

Demonstrating the power of females in senior roles, and as an iconic figure in the world of business and banking, Dame Inga Beale is one of the best speakers for promoting both equality and success. Despite experiencing sexual discrimination in the workplace, Inga has achieved greatly in her field and is a role model to all striving to progress. 

As the first-ever bisexual and female CEO of Lloyd’s of London, Inga ended a 328-year male reign in the role. This resulted in the kickstarting of modernisation and cultural changes in the industry. Inga has received widespread recognition for her impact on business, for example being named number one in the OUTstanding & FT Leading LGBT executive power list.

Inga is an inspiration to both females and the LGBT community in business. She has proved what driven and motivated women can achieve and changed the traditional gender norms which previously resulted in inequality in the workplace. Inga is the ideal candidate to talk about how she overcame challenges, made a difference, and rose to the top.

Tim Campbell MBE

Entrepreneur and a recognised and passionate inclusion advocate, Tim Campbell MBE first rose to fame as the first winner of The Apprentice.

Since winning on the show, he has since gone full circle and now appears on the show as one of Lord Sugar’s most trusted advisors. Starting as a Project Director at Sugar’s Amstrad before moving onto numerous ventures, including social mobility organisations, property investment firms, and a digital marketing agency Tim’s business career has one from strength to strength.

He currently splits his time between his own consultancy; business mentoring advising a global talent acquisition business’s strategic diversity and inclusion efforts; and investments in the leisure and A.I. sector. More recently, he has focussed his work in the education sector by joining the City of London Corporation’s Education Board and championing Apprenticeships.

A well-respected and popular business icon, Tim’s speeches are engaging and inspiring, covering topics such as leadership and the importance of diversity in business.

Rob Law MBE

Entrepreneur and Inventor and Founder of the Trunki ride-on suitcase, Rob Law MBE is one of the most sought-after business speakers in the industry.

Having been rejected on Dragon’s Den, Rob didn’t let the set-back stop him. Instead, against the odds, he went onto see his ride-on suitcase brand, Trunki, become a global sensation and sell more than five million products in more than 100 countries around the world.

With an inspirational life story and success which came through several obstacles, Rob can cover a wide variety of topics to help businesses around the globe. These include how to overcome adversity, branding management, leadership, and creative thinking, to name a few.

Rob can also draw on his years of business experience to provide motivational speeches, which can focus on the likes of resilience and problem solving. He can leave audiences with actionable takeaways, for example how to embrace challenges, focusing energies and adapting to change, to help drive them to success.

Jo Fairley

From becoming the UK’s youngest-ever magazine editor to launching a brand that’s now worth more than £100M, Jo Fairley is one of the most inspirational entrepreneurs and speakers on the circuit. Leaving school-aged sixteen with just a handful of O levels to her name, Jo is excellent for showing how the odds can be defied, and success achieved. 

Jo’s greatest success was the launch of her organic chocolate brand Green & Black’s Chocolate, which despite happening in the heart of a recession, was hugely successful. Her creativity and innovation excelled, and she is fantastic in advising on what it takes for a business to succeed during a crisis. Jo is also an established author and has written columns and opinion pieces for The Daily Mail’s YOU magazine and The Daily Telegraph. 

If you’re seeking a speaker who can inspire females, advise on success in a crisis, and prove expectations from a young age can be wrong, Jo Fairley is the speaker for you. 

Alison Edgar MBE

World-renowned business keynote speaker, dyslexic author, and workshop host, Alison Edgar MBE is a phenomenal motivational and business speaker.

With years of experience working with entrepreneurial ventures, she has discovered what makes businesses tick, and as a result, the ways in which they can up their game. Alison is a unique speaker who focuses on boosting motivation, improving communication, and getting companies to be flexible with modern day times. She firmly advocates that embracing change is key to future business success.

During her time in business, Alison also authored two smash-hit books, drawing on the art of levelling up readers’ personal and professional growth. Her first book was a WHSmith Top Ten Business Book and got a recognised as one of the top business reads by a woman in 2019 by The Independent newspaper.

Alison has also played a vital role in advising the government on business legislation, contributing to the growth of the UK economy.

Peter Komolafe

Looking for someone who has experienced and can relate to financial challenges first-hand? Peter Komolafe is one of Britain’s most respected and highly rated financial advisors, who returned from Nigeria to the UK at aged 18 with no more than £50 to his name.

Peter started at the bottom of a local building society and progressed his way through to work in the iconic Canary Wharf for financial powerhouses such as NatWest and Lombard. He then went onto work on the executive board of the multinational Fortune 100 company, St James Place, before setting up his own advisory platform, Conversation of Money, in 2020. Peter has become a popular media personality, offering his tips to The Express, The Times, ITV’s show Lorraine, and Channel 4’s Secret Spenders.

Having experienced homelessness and financial poverty, Peter is the perfect person to advise on economic struggles at their extremes. His progression to where he is today is the prime example to convey how money is not necessary for success. 

Piers Linney

As an entrepreneur, investor, and TV personality, Piers Linney offers invaluable insights into boosting the productivity and efficiency of businesses. He has experienced both success and failure and specialises in advising innovators and enterprises of any size.

Piers is a former non-executive director of the British Business Bank and has invested in both Dragon’s Den and Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire. He has worked for various high-profile companies, including Credit Suisse, and as a trustee of Nesta.  He also represented and supported SMEs on a Cabinet Office committee, and at Tech UK. In 2021, Piers founded Moblox which is the tech and tools platform for owner-led businesses.

Having a professional background in law, investment banking and fund management, Piers is well-rehearsed in advising businesses in various fields, as well as sizes. If you’re looking for someone who can adapt their knowledge and experiences to a company in a unique manner, Piers is an ideal selection.  

Our business speakers not only talk of their entrepreneurial successes, but also how they tackled and subsequently overcame challenging times. If you’re looking to motivate employees on how these climates are only ever temporary, and there is light ahead, look no further than someone who has experienced this first-hand. Many past examples show that how these situations have been handled has often led to some of the greatest business successes, and there is therefore no better time to strive forward. Whether you have a specific person in mind or are looking for suggestions, Evolve can help you find the ideal speaker to boost morale and showcase the positives of what can be achieved in challenging times for us all.