19 UK-based business speakers for 2026 events, each with a live profile, video and confirmed UK background — updated yearly.
Booking a business speaker for 2026 usually starts the same way: a shortlist assembled from whoever came up first, followed by a scramble to check availability. The organisers who get it right work the other way round. They start from the UK's live speaking market, not a memory of who spoke well three years ago.
This list is exactly that: 19 UK-based business speakers currently active on the circuit, each with a confirmed UK background, a live profile and a video you can watch before you shortlist anyone. It is reviewed and refreshed every year, and the list you are reading is the 2026 edition. If what you actually want is who UK organisations book most often rather than who is based in the UK, see who our UK clients book most — that ranking works differently from this one.
The theme is broad by design, because UK business events are broad by design. The names below span digital transformation, fintech, artificial intelligence, political and economic strategy, retail, supply chain and entrepreneurship — the range of subjects that actually get booked under a "business" brief rather than a narrower keynote category. The list is built for organisers matching a brief to a background quickly.
1. Leanne Elliott Young — founder and CEO of CommuneEast, speaking on sustainability, future trends and retail. She has represented the UK at UN Women Beijing+30 and advises UK government on digital and youth policy. Watch: Interview with Leanne Elliott Young, Founder/CEO – CommuneEast.
2. Allister Frost — twice named UK Digital Marketing Personality of the Year and a UK Speaker Awards 2023 winner, covering change management, customer experience and digital transformation. Watch: The Secret To Success When Everything Changes.
3. Megan Caywood Cooper — former Chief Product Officer at Barclays UK and at Starling Bank, moved to the UK on an Exceptional Talent Visa. Speaks on AI, big data and start-up leadership. Watch: Profiles in Leadership.
4. Karen Blackett OBE — UK President for WPP and former GroupM UK CEO, speaking on culture, customer experience and building trust with executives. Watch: The Secret To Building Trust With Executives.
5. Debra Searle MBE — adventurer, entrepreneur and former BBC presenter, speaking on change management, culture and digital transformation. Watch: Debra Searle Keynote Show Reel.
6. David Birch — fintech and digital identity commentator, speaking on blockchain, digital transformation and disruptive innovation. Watch: Dave Birch Showreel 2018.
7. Dr Tim Hames — former Director General of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, an Oxford academic, speaking on political and global strategy. Watch: Cross Question with Iain Dale.
8. Andrew Grill — "The Actionable Futurist," speaking on disruptive innovation, digital transformation and the future of work. Watch: AI Expert: The Actionable Futurist® 2024 Speaker Showreel.
9. Christopher TS Harvey — speaks on artificial intelligence, culture and the future of work. Watch: Do What AI Can't: Be Human.
10. Dr Ally Jaffee — co-founder of Nutritank, NHS doctor speaking on psychology, mindfulness and workplace wellbeing. Watch: Dr Ally Jaffee – Co-Founder of Nutritank.
11. Cindy Yu — assistant editor at The Spectator and an Oxford-affiliated China specialist, speaking on political and global strategy. Watch: This House Believes China Is an Existential Threat, Oxford Union.
12. Alex Depledge — founder of Resi.co.uk, the UK's largest residential architectural practice, speaking on entrepreneurship and leadership. Watch: How to Overcome the Fear of Starting a New Business.
13. Victoria Scholar — one of UK television's regular financial commentators and a City AM award winner, speaking on fintech and the global economy. Watch: London Blockchain Conference.
14. Mark Millar — moderator and speaker on global supply chain and digital transformation. Watch: Engage Mark Millar as a speaker at your event.
15. Noreena Hertz — economist and author, Cambridge-affiliated, speaking on disruptive innovation, behavioural economics and generational change. Watch: The Lonely Century.
16. Dino Sofos — broadcaster and podcast producer working across the British news landscape, speaking on political strategy and leadership. Watch: Persephonica: Dino Sofos at BIPC.
17. Jude Guaitamacchi — speaks on leadership, inspiring change and workplace inclusion. Watch: Mental Health in the LGBTQ Community.
18. Susannah Streeter — former BBC business anchor, speaking on the global economy and financial markets. Watch: 2019 Showreel.
19. Lee Chambers — environmental psychologist speaking on resilience, culture and change management. Watch: In Conversation With… Lee Chambers.
This page is reviewed once a year against the live UK roster: names whose profiles have gone quiet are removed, new UK-confirmed speakers with a strong video and bio are added, and the year in the title and URL moves forward. What does not change is the standard — every name here has a live, published profile with a photo, a video and a UK background stated in their own biography, not assumed from where their name sounds like it comes from. Unlike a list assembled once from press mentions and left to age, every claim here is checked against the speaker's own current profile at each annual review.
If you are booking for a UK business event in 2026 and want to check availability or fee ranges for anyone above, or want names outside this list matched to a specific brief, get in touch and we will do that against the live roster, not this page alone.
→ Talk to us about your 2026 business speaker shortlist
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Every name is filtered from Speaker Agency's live UK roster against three checks: a UK background stated in the speaker's own biography, a published profile with at least one video, and no overlap with any speaker no longer represented. The list is not ranked by fee or fame; it reflects who is currently active, UK-based and bookable.
Because padding a list to hit a round number means including a name that does not meet the bar. Two names were removed at the review stage for missing a photo or a video, and no replacement was forced in just to reach 20. The number will change year to year as the roster changes.
Yes, once a year. Speakers whose profiles are no longer live are removed, and new UK speakers who meet the same bar are added. The year in the page title and web address is updated at the same time.
The list covers what UK organisers typically book under a "business" brief: digital transformation, fintech, artificial intelligence, political and economic strategy, entrepreneurship, retail and supply chain. Several speakers cover more than one of these areas.
Yes. Fee ranges are quoted per enquiry against live availability rather than published on this page, because they vary by date, format and event type. Contact us with your brief and we will confirm figures for the names you are considering.
Not all of them. Some are exclusively represented and some are represented on a non-exclusive basis alongside other agencies. Either way, every name on this list has a live, current profile with Speaker Agency and can be booked through us.
After Dinner Speakers
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