Ellis Watson Keynote Speaker

Ellis Watson is a high-energy business leader and board adviser who has led transformation across media, entertainment and transport. He brings commercial rigor, turnaround expertise and wit—equipping audiences to lead through disruption, build cultures that stick, and convert strategy into momentum.

Ellis’ career spans scale and reinvention. As MD/CEO of Celador International (2000–2003) he drove the global rollout of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to more than 100 territories. He then became General Manager and later MD of Mirror Group Newspapers (2003–2005), before taking leadership roles at John Menzies (2005–2009) and joining the FirstGroup board in 2009. In 2010 he was appointed CEO of Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, overseeing international formats and commercial strategy.

From 2011 he led DC Thomson’s newspaper operations, becoming Chief Executive of DC Thomson Publishing in 2012 and later Executive Chairman, where he pushed bold digital change across heritage brands including The Beano. He concluded a decade at the group in 2020.

Since 2023 Ellis has served as Chief Business Adviser to Scotland’s First Minister. Recent engagements include headlining BigHand Conference 2025, speaking at Service Dealer 2024, and keynoting EweMove’s 2023 annual conference. His TEDxGlasgow talk, “Disrupt Yourself or Die Trying,” underscores a trademark message: embrace change at pace and with purpose.