Mike Soutar Keynote Speaker
- Inducted into PPA Scotland Hall of Fame (2024)
- Joined UK Government’s Board of Trade (2025– )
- Co-founded Shortlist Media, leading it to award-winning success
Mike Soutar's Biography
Mike Soutar is an entrepreneur, broadcaster, and advisor renowned for his expertise in business transformation and media innovation. In 2024, he was honored as the first inductee into the PPA Scotland Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to the publishing industry. The following year, he joined the UK Government’s Board of Trade, championing British business on the global stage.
As co-founder and CEO of Shortlist Media, Mike transformed a five-person start-up into an award-winning enterprise with operations across the UK and Europe. His leadership redefined magazine publishing, launching influential titles that set new industry standards.
Beyond his executive roles, Mike has served as a Non-Executive Director at Scottish Rugby and as a Trustee of V&A Dundee, reflecting his commitment to fostering growth across diverse sectors. Since 2011, he has been a trusted advisor on BBC’s The Apprentice, renowned for his incisive interview style that challenges candidates and provides audiences with deep insights into leadership and business acumen.
Mike’s dedication to mentoring emerging leaders is evident through his advisory roles with fast-growth businesses in fintech, data, contemporary art, and social media. His engaging storytelling and strategic insights equip audiences with the tools to navigate complex business landscapes, fostering innovation and resilience.
Mike Soutar's Speaking Topics
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Why Everything You Know About Leadership Is About To Expire
The traditional management playbook has been replaced by a set of dynamic new rules. Here are the essential pivots leaders need to make now. In a world defined by rapid cultural, geopolitical and technological change, the rules of leadership can switch in a matter of months. This speech isn't just about hybrid work or digital transformation. It's about the fundamental rewiring of how we guide organisations in an era where: Your biggest competitor might not be another company, but an algorithm learning faster than your team. Your workforce may soon include more AI agents than humans, each requiring a different kind of leadership.; ;Your next strategic decision won't just test your judgment – it could define your legacy. The next generation of successful executives won't just do things differently - they'll think differently. This session will equip you with the cognitive tools and adaptive strategies required to maximise your opportunities in a changing world.
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Transform Your Fears Into Career-Defining Wins
The greatest risk isn’t making the wrong decision - it’s being too afraid to make the right one. As the interviewer who strikes dread into candidates on The Apprentice, Mike Soutar has spent a decade studying how the fear of failure corrupts business judgement. Through forensic analysis of real business decisions - both spectacular successes and careerdefining failures this session reveals: Why even brilliant people make terrible decisions under pressure (and how the best leaders avoid this trap); How to lead others through their fears when you're navigating your own; Why authentic executive presence comes from competence and preparation, not bravado or bluster This isn't about eliminating fear - it's about harnessing and transforming it into a strategic asset. Because in business, as in The Apprentice boardroom, it's not the most qualified candidate who succeeds. It's the one who maintains precision and purpose when everyone else has lost their heads.
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Mike Soutar’s 10 Essential Business Lessons
Transformational insights to help you lead high-performance teams and build remarkable enterprises. From his first job writing horoscopes for a local Scottish paper, to founding a £50 million media powerhouse during the worst recession in living memory – whilst becoming a ferocious interviewer on television’s The Apprentice – Mike Soutar has mastered the art of building market-leading brands from almost nothing. In this unflinchingly honest session you’ll discover frameworks to: Transform rejection into your secret weapon: Why hearing "no" is the competitive advantage that makes you bullet-proof ;Develop Risk Intelligence: The practical agenda for distinguishing between calculated risks that build empires and reckless gambles that destroy them; Master resilience under fire: Concrete techniques to stay composed, focused and effective in moments of extreme pressure These aren't classroom concepts from a management consultant. These are ten battle-hardened lessons that will focus your teams, improve your productivity, and help you build something genuinely remarkable. No jargon. No vague platitudes. And no sugar-coating. Just authentic, uncompromising wisdom from a business leader who's spent a career navigating the fine margins separating catastrophic failure from astonishing achievement.