William Kendall Keynote Speaker

William is an expert in building value into companies and brands. He took two embryonic businesses to major financial exits to large PLCs. William invests in early stage businesses and his current portfolio includes Sleeperz, a boutique budget hotel brand; Cawston Press, a premium soft drinks business; and I2O, a water technology company.

A former army officer, Cambridge educated lawyer and barrister, investment banker and INSEAD graduate, William built up New Covent Garden Soup Company before reversing it into a PLC, only to do the same with Green & Black’s before selling it to Cadbury Schweppes.

William believes in building brilliant teams, nurturing an innovative culture and favours long term decision making. An expert in family business ownership and management, he now sits on a number of family owned business boards – from Samworth Brothers, a £1 billion little known manufacturer of food to UK supermarkets, to The Grosvenor Estate where he is one of the Trustees helping them seek out exciting investments for the next 300 years. Recent new investments here have included the world’s most advanced fly farming operation and a giant salad farm in redundant New York warehouses.

William is a regular writer in various publications. He runs an organic farm in Suffolk.