Lorraine Heggessey

The first female head of BBC One, Lorraine Heggessey is a leading figure in Television and a successful businesswoman. As a speaker she draws on all her experience to speak to organisations about leadership, making positive change, women in business, mental health and how to help employees reach and surpass their targets. Any corporation would benefit from the open and honest discussion that Lorraine offers.

Lorraine had an extensive TV career before she became Head of Children’s BBC in 1997 before she was made Deputy Chief Executive of BBC Production. Within a year she became the first female Head of BBC One. While in charge BBC One overtook ITV1 for audience share for the first time since 1995. She commissioned the production of Waking the Dead, Spooks and Strictly Come Dancing as well as reintroducing Dr Who to TV screens. In her five years in the role, GQ named her as the third most influential woman in Britain and in 2005 won Woman of the Year at the Women in Film and Television Awards, the Media Award at the CBI First Woman Awards, and the Bertelsmann Entrepreneur Award. She became the CEO of Talkback Thames after leaving the BBC. In her role, she oversaw the production of Britain’s Got Talent, Take Me Out and QI among over hit TV Shows. She also set up a new digital united and increased profits by 50% within her first two years. She left the role in 2010 and after a two-year break became Co-owner and Executive Chair of Boom Pictures. She established the company as the seventh-largest independent production company in Britain and remained in charge until it was acquired by ITV in 2015.

She spent time as a Director of Pivigo before she was named CEO of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She launched the Heads Together Campaign while in charge, a campaign to decrease the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage people to speak about it. She is also the Chair of the Grierson Trust, a Fellow of the Royal Television Society and is a judge for the RTS and BAFTA. Lorraine is also called upon by the Today Programme and Newsnight to comment on media topics. She works with Channel 4’s growth fund, helping companies in the portfolio to grow into creatively and commercially successful organisations.

Available to hire as a business speaker, Lorraine Heggessey is perfectly positioned to speak to any corporate audience given her vast experience at the highest level in several major organisations. Open, engaging, and full of useful strategies that can be used by organisations, Lorraine can motivate and educate any audience she meets by drawing on her own experience.