Roger Saul

Roger Saul is a British entrepreneur, brand builder and sustainability advocate, widely regarded as one of the most influential keynote speakers in luxury retail and purpose-led business. As the Founder of Mulberry, he transformed a £500 family-backed idea into one of Britain’s most recognisable global fashion brands. His career spans more than five decades and crosses fashion, hospitality, retail development and regenerative agriculture, giving him a rare authority on growth, reinvention and long-term value creation.

Roger’s early career was rooted in curiosity, independence and a strong commercial instinct. At just 18, Roger started a business while still in school, searching antique shops in Bath for Victorian military uniforms, which he then sold at Portobello Road Market. Not long after, he secured a scholarship to study business at City of Westminster College. While studying, Roger worked part-time as an accessory buyer at the John Michael boutique chain Guys and Dolls, where he recognised the significant profit margins on belts and saw an opportunity to do better himself. In 1971, he went into business with his mother, using a £500 he received for his 21st birthday to buy stationery and buckles, while his father supplied the leather to create Mulberry's iconic belts and bags.

He later created Mulberry Home, which received the Queen’s Award for Export, and successfully guided the business through its AIM Stock Exchange flotation in 1996. Roger ran Mulberry for just over 3 decades before a boardroom coup led to his departure. However, during his tenure, he grew Mulberry into one of the most iconic UK accessory brands, expanding the brand across Europe and beyond as it became synonymous with British luxury. Alongside fashion, Roger opened the Michelin-starred Charlton House Hotel, developed Kilver Court Designer Village in 2011, which won UK retail shopping centre of the year in 2018, and authored books on design and food, his most recent title being ‘Spelt: Cakes, Cookies, Breads & Meals from the Good Grain’. In 2004, he reinvented his career by founding Sharpham Park, restoring a 1,000-acre estate into a pioneering organic and regenerative walnut farming business focused on biodiversity and UK food security. Roger has also been involved in various amateur racing projects; as an avid fan of historic motorsports, he curated the Start Eco Car Spectacular alongside Kevin McCloud to showcase sustainable and fuel-alternative vehicles.

As a speaker, Roger Saul offers valuable insight into luxury branding, entrepreneurship, sustainability and retail. Combining commercial expertise with engaging personal anecdotes, he brings a distinctive perspective to leadership and brand building. Having achieved his first £1 million turnover at just 26 in 1976, followed by his first £1 million profit in the late 1980s, Roger draws on decades of experience building successful brands across sectors. His ability to connect creativity with commercial discipline, profit with purpose, and heritage with innovation makes him an engaging and credible keynote speaker for both creative industries and corporate audiences.