The Leading Speakers Bureau

Leading Expert on Fashion Retail & Brand Communication

Mary is one of the UK’s foremost authorities on retail and brand communication and is credited with turning Harvey Nichols into the modern fashion powerhouse that it is today. Her first book, ‘Windows – the Art of Retail Display’, was published in five languages and quickly became the worldwide authority on the subject. Mary is one of the most respected figures in the fashion industry, acting as a retail consultant to huge brands around the world. She has worked with a huge number of stores including Oasis, Patek Phillipe and Harvey Nichols.

“Inspiration can strike at anytime, anywhere, anyhow”

[expand title=”In detail”] As well as starring in a new BBC television series, Mary also writes a weekly column, reviewing fashion shops across the country. She is founder and creative director of Yellowdoor, one of London’s leading creative communications agencies with publicity, advertising, retail marketing and events and brand strategy divisions.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Mary Portas shares the knowledge she has gained from her years at the leading edge of fashion retailing, giving the ultimate insider’s guide. She regularly travels around the world advising on retail strategy and frequently lectures on the theme of brands and retail.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Mary is globally recognised as a leading authority on the future trends of fashion retail, brand communication and on the development of effective people and culture within organisations. Her presentations are inspirational and highly motivating.[/expand]

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Founder and Managing Director of JoJo Maman Bébé

A very successful entrepreneur, Laura Tenison launched JoJo Maman Bébé in 1993. The maternity, baby and nursery retailer is now one of the leading retailers in its sector in the UK. She has organically grown the company from a start-up to its current size of over 240 employees and a turnover of around £17m.

“I am committed to providing 1st class service through honest, ethical trading, integrity and respect for our customers’ point of view”

[expand title=”In detail”] Laura showed entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and started her first company whilst still at school. She was inspired to start a mail order baby product business by a bed ridden mother during a spell in hospital following a car crash. Laura’s has set up a company policy based on strong codes of ethical business practice, both in product manufacturing and buying. Laura has received many awards including Harpers & Queen Entrepreneur of the year 2005, the Welsh Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 and she received an MBE for services to business in the Queen’s 2004 New Year’s Honours List. JoJo Maman Bébé has won numerous awards.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Laura shares the invaluable experience as an entrepreneur and the secrets of her success, insisting that all managers should lead by example. Laura is happy to give her time to inspire others and is often found talking to those who ask her advice when setting up a new business. Audiences are provided with actionable insights into Laura’s proven methods. Her enthusiasm for the product and the brand are the foundation of her tremendous success. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Laura is a passionate, honest and fascinating speaker with a strong belief in Customer Service and Ethical Business.
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Pioneering Co-founder of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate

Jo Fairley is co-founder of the pioneering organic chocolate company Green & Black’s, which has gone from a niche organic and Fairtrade brand to a global chocolate name. Recently, Green & Black’s was voted ‘Coolest Food Brand in the UK’ for the fifth year running, by Coolbrands.

‘If you don’t do it, you’ll never know what would have happened if you had done it.’

[expand title=”In detail”] Formerly Britain’s youngest-ever magazine editor, Jo has translated her skills as a journalist into marketing, PR and brand-building. Through her presentations, Jo now takes audiences through every aspect of growing a business – from the bravery required to taking that first step, through to the practical and emotional aspects of an ‘exit’ strategy – and achieving that all-important (and elusive) work-life balance en route. Jo continues to juggle her work as a journalist and author with being a brand ambassador for Green & Black’s, as well as running an organic bakery and one-stop local food store and an 11-room ‘boutique’ wellbeing centre, in her up-and-coming home town of Hastings.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Jo’s story is fascinating to entrepreneurs, women’s networking groups and to wider business or educational audiences both in the UK and internationally. Her brand-building experience is inspirational to anyone on a ‘business journey’ of their own. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Engaging and passionate, Jo never fails to inspire – and is always happy to network with attendees, offering more direct input to individuals.[/expand]

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Multi-award Winning Designer, Fashion Entrepreneur & Businesswoman

Amanda Wakeley OBE launched her signature label in 1990 and over the last two decades she has developed an international reputation for creating stylish, supremely luxurious womenswear and accessories. Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Kate Beckinsdale and Charlize Theron are amongst her fans. Amanda has also had the honour to dress many members of Royal families, most notably Queen Rania of Jordan and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

“One of Britain’s best-loved designers”

[expand title=”In detail”] Amanda Wakeley is entirely self-taught and was driven in her desire to make clothes from, she says, the moment she grew tall enough to reach the foot of the sewing machine in her parents’ home. She cut her business teeth whilst working in America for an influential New York designer and retailer but kept up her own designs and soon gained the confidence to launch her own brand. Having started with ready-to-wear fashion, the Amanda Wakeley collection now encompasses bridal gowns and fine jewellery as well as fashion accessories. She opened her flagship store on the Fulham Road in 2009, and her ranges are stocked in Harvey Nichols, throughout the UK and at Harrods in London. The brand is also represented throughout Europe, America and the Middle East.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Amanda Wakeley’s rise to business success has not been without tough challenges and she now uses her considerable talents to help raise both funds and awareness for a number of charitable causes. She is best known for her signature dresses and luxurywear and was a great influence on Princess Diana, when she was developing her working wardrobe in the early 90’s. With a thriving business in the Middle East, Australia, the United States, Singapore and Europe, she provides invaluable insights into current trends and movements in the luxury clothing world.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]A founding co-Chair of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and fashion industry expert, Amanda Wakeley is an accomplished, confident and highly inspirational speaker. [/expand]

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Groundbreaking Athlete, Fashion Icon, Design Innovator and Model

A record-breaker at the Paralympic Games in 1996, Aimee Mullins has built a career as a model, actor and advocate for women, sports and the next generation of prosthetics. Aimee was born without fibulae and doctors amputated both her legs. Defying all predictions she became the first woman with a disability to compete in the NCAA and went to set world records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter and the long jump.

“Adversity isn’t an obstacle that we need to get around in order to resume living our life. It’s part of our life”

[expand title=”In detail”] Aimee studied History and Diplomacy at Georgetown University. As a model she graced some of the most respected magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Rolling Stones. She travelled the world and spoke at renowned conferences where she created a deep interest in body image, fashion advertising and the opportunity of adversity. People Magazine named her “One of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World”. Aimee actively assists numerous non- profit organisations and is a founding member of the leadership board to SPIRE Institute, the world’s largest athletic development center. [/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]In her presentations Aimee reveals what is possible. She shows how we can adapt our mindsets, so that adversity and change are not to be dreaded but welcome as exciting parts of our lives. She also shares her experience of creating the rules to success by explaining some of the critical decisions she faced in her life. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Her highly personalised interactive presentations and free ranging question and answer sessions are truly unique and engage audiences around the world. [/expand]

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CEO at Ortiz Industry Inc and Former Global Creative Director at Nike

Claire Ortiz is CEO and cofounder of “intelligent fashion” company Ortiz Industry, Inc. For more than 25 years, Claire has built infrastructure and led teams in startup environments and global corporations like Nike, Wilson and UnderArmour. She has garnered a reputation for her entrepreneurial edge and ability to transform brands into major revenue generators. As Global Creative Director at Nike, Claire was hired by basketball legend Michael Jordan to turn Brand Jordan Apparel into a success. She carved out distribution channels and partnerships across the U.S., Asia and Europe.

“A respected apparel-industry executive”

[expand title=”In detail”] Claire’s design background matches her entrepreneurial expertise. She is a self-taught designer who created and sold her own successful label, Smoke Street Couture, in her early 20s. At 26, she was hired by the founder of Esprit Des Corps to be Director of Design, heading the design of all women’s products in the U.S. She also led creative and product development at Eddie Bauer and AirWalk, as well as brands like VH1 and MTV. Claire is a highly sought after speaker and consultant, with clients like MagicSourcing, SPG, Babolat, Tennis Warehouse, Men Chuen Fibre, numerous schools and universities and several others.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Claire Ortiz shares with audiences around the world her ability to transform brands into major revenue generators. Her expertise is based in building infrastructures, creating in depth Idea to Consumer roadmaps, execution strategies for large and small brands, as well as reorganizing teams, building marketing and marketing strategies. She is also known in her industry as ‘the fixer’. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Claire is a persuasive and charismatic speaker who has a tremendous knack for making ideas come to life in an easily digestible way. Her presentations are delivered in her natural ‘real talk’ style and a bit of comedy to make audiences feel at ease, especially on complex topics.[/expand]

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Associate Professor of Mathematics

Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Her research focuses on developing dynamic statistical models that emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. Dr. Williams discovered that by listening to her body -temperature, blood pressure, heart rate – all are forms of data that can help us understand our bodies and recognize when something is going wrong, enabling our doctors to better diagnose us.

“Renowned Statistician”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dr. Williams joined the Harvey Mudd College faculty in 2008 after receiving her B.S. in Mathematics from Spelman College, her M.A. in Mathematics from Howard University, and her Ph.D. in Statistics from Rice University. Her professional experiences include research appointments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA. She has been recognised for the development of a cataract model used to predict the cataract surgical rate for developing countries in Africa. [/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Dr. Williams’ talk will explore how each of us can begin to collect data about ourselves that can provide insight into our personal health. She will also examine the applications of statistics and give examples of where statistics can be successfully used.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Dr. Williams’ high content tailored presentations are always well received. Her messages are concise and informative, delivered in her personal, yet highly professional style. [/expand]

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Former CEO of Aveda, Senior Executive at Nike & Reebok, Executive Coach, Productivity, Leadership & Diversity Expert

Marilyn Tam is a Speaker, Author, Consultant, Board Certified Executive/Corporate Coach, CEO of Marilyn Tam & Co. and Founder and Executive Director of Us Foundation. She is a contributing writer to Huffington Post and also has a weekly radio show, The Happiness Choice on FMG network, with 35 million listeners globally and features experts on how to live a happy, healthy, successful, and dynamically balanced life. Marilyn has been recognized as one of the Top 30 Female Entrepreneurs in the USA by Fempreneur magazine.

“One of the four most prominent names in Ethical Business globally” Brand Channel

[expand title=”In detail”] Marilyn was formerly the CEO of Aveda Corp., President of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group; Vice President of Nike Inc. and also a successful entrepreneur who has built four companies. Marilyn is featured in many documentary movies including GLOW Project, The Compass, Tapping the Source, and FEMME for her accomplishments and inner wisdom. Marilyn’s book, ‘The Happiness Choice’, has won the Silver Medal of the Global eBook Awards.
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[expand title=”What she offers you”]From child labourer to CEO, Marilyn has had an extraordinarily diverse life, from her beginnings in a traditional Chinese family in Hong Kong to her meteoric rise in the international business world to become an influential corporate leader and respected humanitarian. Marilyn helps people and organisations to find and fulfil their life purpose, and provides them with the principles and actions to take them to their goals. Her NPR (Net Promoter Score), the industry standard for measuring customer satisfaction, from her clients is among the highest rated of all speakers.

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[expand title=”How she presents”]Marilyn is a powerful and effective speaker who despite her achievements is a very humble individual, who delivers customized presentations and is in frequent demand at prestigious events around the globe. Her captivating and informative stories are truly inspirational.[/expand]

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Co-Recipient of Nobel Peace Prize 2014

Malala Yousafazai is a courageous advocate for universal education and girls rights. Targeted for her brave activism, in 2012 the Taliban boarded her school bus and shot her and two other girls. After the shooting, Malala was flown from her home in Pakistan to the UK to recover. She is now back at school and continues to campaign for every child’s right to education. In 2014, at the age of just 17, Malala received the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

“A global symbol for girls’ rights and global education”

[expand title=”In detail”] Malala first came to attention in 2009 after she wrote an anonymous diary for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan. The following year a journalist from the NYT made a documentary about her life and Malala rose in prominence giving interviews in print and on TV. In 2013 she spoke at the headquarters of the United Nations to call for worldwide access to education. The Times Magazine named her One of the Most Influential People and was awarded the EU’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize. [/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Malala brings awareness to world and business leaders to the social and economic impact of education. She empowers people to raise their voices, to unlock their potential and to demand change. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Her eye-opening message and her extraordinary courage make Malala Yousafazai an acclaimed ambassador for human rights and education.[/expand]

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Leading Space Scientist and BBC Presenter

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist whose passion is presenting science to a general audience to make them participate in and enjoy science. Her programme Do We Really Need the Moon? on BBC 2, which explored our intimate relationship with the moon, showed just that. The programme earned Maggie the talkback Thames new talent award at the prestigious Women in Film and TV Awards in 2011. Maggie is currently presenting the new series of Sky At Night on BBC 4 and Mini Stargazing for Cbeebies.

“One of the UK’s top 100 most influential scientists”

[expand title=”In detail”] Maggie obtained her degree in Physics and her PhD in Mechanical Engineering. To further share her love of science, Maggie has set up her own company Science Innovation Ltd. Through this she conducts “Tours of the Universe” and other public engagement activities, showing school children and adults the wonders of space. Maggie has just produced a film called Space in the UK, which features her on a “Big Brother” spaceship on a journey to Mars. Maggie has a Science in Society Fellowship from the STFC.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In her illuminating and inspiring presentations Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares invaluable insights on how science and technology affects our lives. Her remarks are of great interest for decision makers from all businesses.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A passionate scientist and outstanding communicator, Maggie Aderin-Pocock brings tremendous enthusiasm about science to each event.[/expand]

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