Mary Portas is famed for her expertise on the high street and consumer behaviour. Founder of Portas, Mary has formerly worked with clients such as Swarovski, Louis Vuitton and Mercedes-Benz to name but a few. Mary has also presented many of her own programmes themed around shopping and authored several of her own books. Now hired as a speaker for events. Mary shares her expertise in the retail industry.
Mary has long been interested in the sector of retail, starting her career with a Saturday job in a John Lewis department store. Proving her worth as a retail assistant, it wasn’t long before Mary was working in luxury stores- such as her role as the Creative Director of Harvey Nichols. Mary has also spent several years designing the iconic window displays of Harrods, bringing the latest trends and styles to life. Her roles in retail-led her to be awarded the D&AD Gold Award, as well as leading to her presenting career.
Over the course of her career, Mary has been sought to present a variety of retail themed programmes for the BBC. She has presented What Britain Buys, Mary Queen of the High Street, Mary’s Bottom Line, Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, Mary Queen of Frocks, Mary Queen of Charity Shops and Mary Queen of Shops. Outside of presenting, she has also appeared as a special guest in the Panorama documentary On The Rack, The Apprentice and Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags. She has also authored four books, titled Windows – the Art of Retail Display, How to Shop with Mary, Queen of Shops, Mary Portas Shop Girl and Work Like a Woman.
Having also been commissioned by the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, to conduct a review of the future of the high street titled The Portas Review, Mary is now considered to be one of the foremost authorities on the retail sector. Hired as a speaker for a range of events, with Champions Speakers proudly representing Mary Portas as an official speaker agent, Mary shares her expertise in the ever-changing landscape of retail and consumer trends, how we can breathe life back into our high streets and managing leading department stores. Also a passionate LGBT advocate, being part of the first lesbian couple in the UK to be married under the new law, Mary also raises awareness and acceptance for the LGBT community as a speaker. When looking for an expert on retail or a passionate advocate to speak at your event, book Mary Portas today.
In recognition of her prowess in the retail industry, and how it is adapting and ever-changing, Mary Portas was recently named as one of the Official Top 15 Change Management Speakers to Hire.
In January 2024 we sat down with Mary Portas to discuss health & wellness and how to infiltrate that market. Watch this Interview with Mary Portas here.
Social Media
Books
Rebuild: How to Thrive in the New Kindness Economy
Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto for Change
Shop Girl, a Memoir
How to Shop with Mary Portas, Queen of Shops
Reviews
Mary Portas received a 4.5 star rating across 7 events in 2023
Agent Recommendation
"Mary Portas is an exceptional keynote speaker, renowned for her profound expertise in retail and consumer behaviour. As the Founder of Portas and a former creative force behind major brands like Swarovski and Louis Vuitton, Mary brings unparalleled insights from her distinguished career. Her engaging presentations, fueled by her roles in groundbreaking retail programs and her authoritative books, offer invaluable perspectives on retail trends and consumer engagement. Mary's dedication to the industry showcased in her award-winning work and significant contributions like The Portas Review, makes her an inspirational and knowledgeable speaker for any event."
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"She was excellent and was fab, she did not speak about being a woman but showed what a strong businessperson is about!" - Accenture
"Perfectly pitched for an audience of our background and experience" - DeMontford
"Mary was an excellent speaker. She spoke with great enthusiasm and humour and personalised to our company" - Co-Operative Association
"I just wanted to take the time to personally thank you for taking part in our Retail & Supply Chain event last week, at the Design Museum. It was a pleasure to meet you in person and hear your views on the current challenges facing retail businesses, why it is so important for these brands to be truly purpose driven, and to champion the employee experience. Everyone enjoyed the humour in your anecdotes and the passion you shared for making a difference in the sector. The feedback from our employees, customers and partners has been fantastic. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed your session, citing it as the best from an external keynote speaker. In my experience, it is rare that you meet someone in the public eye that is so genuine and authentic in living their values. However, the warmth that Sarah and I felt and the kindness you showed us in facilitating some photographs with us after the session, really demonstrated how important that human interaction is to you. For me personally, as a 55-year-old woman who was wondering what is next, it has really inspired me to set myself some new goals and go for it!" - Alison, Marketing Director, Xpedition
- 2023 - Named one of the 25 Top UK Retail Influencers of 2023 by Modern Retail
- 2021 - Author of "Rebuild"
- 2019 - Author of "Work Like a Woman"
- 2015 - Author of "Mary Portas, Shop Girl, a Memoir"
- 2012 - Speaker at the Yorkshire International Business Convention with the Dalai Lama
- 2011 - Commissioned by Prime Minister David Cameron to conduct The Portas Review
- 2009 - Opened the "Living & Giving Shop" in support of Save the Children & named the Global Retail Ambassador for Save the Children
- 2009 - Awarded a Doctorate of Letters by Heriot-Watt University
- 2008 - Columnist for Grazia
- 2007 - Author of "How to Shop with Mary, Queen of Shops"
- 2005 - Author of the weekly column "Shop!" for the Daily Telegraph
- 1999 - Author of "Windows: The Art of Retail Display"
- 1997 - Founder of Portas (formerly Yellowdoor)
- 1989 - Creative Director of Harvey Nichols
- Presenter of Mary, Queen of Shops, Mary, Queen of Charity Shops, Mary, Queen of Frocks, Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, Mary's Bottom Line, Mary, Queen of the Highstreet and What Britain Buys
- Named a LinkedIn Top Voice
How to hire Mary Portas
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Mary Portas for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
