Serial entrepreneur, Simon Woodroffe is best known as the creative mind behind the Yo! Company. From the internationally loved restaurant chain to the innovative hotel brand, Simon has eclipsed the market through his visionary business leadership. With experience presenting and in the media, Simon has transferred his skillset to the stage as an accomplished event speaker. Able to discuss his expertise in innovation, creativity and business leadership, Simon is the ideal speaker to offer future-proofed strategies for corporate clients.
As an entrepreneur, Simon Founded YO!Sushi in 1997, the first of his ventures in the YO! Brand. Despite limited capital and corporate sponsorship, Simon funded his first restaurant, which has since grown to over 100 restaurants worldwide. Furthering the YO! Company offering, Simon diversified to incorporate hotels. In 2008 Simon established YOTEL, the airport and city break hotel that captured true luxury in only 10sq meters. After leading the brand to global success, with ventures including YO! Below, YO! To Go and YO! Home, Simon shared his majority share for £10 million, but he remains a prominent influence on the company.
Becoming an entrepreneur later in his career, Simon has previously enjoyed stints as a roadie, stage designer, and a TV executive. Developing such an adaptable skillset ensured his success as a business owner, and saw him invited to join the TV show ‘Dragon’s Den’. Appearing as an investor, better known as a Dragon, on Dragon’s Den in the inaugural series, Simon drove a tough deal, and in the process highlighted his expertise as a businessman. He has since maintained his public platform as an authority in the field.
Currently, Simon dedicates much of his time to speaking engagements that are as innovative as his business offerings. Known for his interactive style of presentations, Simon gets rid of rigid PowerPoint presentations and instead engages audiences in energetic talks, full of actionable advice. Honoured with an OBE in 2006, Simon is a renowned businessman who, when booked as a speaker, can transform the trajectory of a company through creativity and innovation.
How to hire Simon Woodroffe
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Simon Woodroffe 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.