Ellis Watson

Leading organisations through disruption and transformation requires more than strategy; it demands cultural change, resilience and the ability to turn external shocks into growth opportunities. Ellis Watson, Executive Chairman and former CEO of DC Thomson, has spent his career turning around major businesses across media, entertainment and transport, from taking Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to over 100 countries as CEO of Celador International to transforming Greyhound's fortunes across the Americas. Recognised with a King's Award and appointed as a Global Scot, he brings rare insight into inspiring teams under pressure, building genuine company culture and future-proofing traditional organisations for the digital age, delivering keynotes that equip leaders with practical tools to navigate change with confidence and energy.

Transforming legacy organisations in the face of relentless disruption requires more than vision. It demands the ability to rebuild culture, redefine commercial models, and inspire teams through profound uncertainty. Ellis Watson is Executive Chairman and former CEO of DC Thomson, the Scottish media group, and a transformation adviser whose executive career has seen him turn around, rebrand, and expand businesses across media, entertainment, and transport. His work steering traditional enterprises into resilient, future-proofed organisations has earned him recognition including a King's Award, appointment as a Global Scot by the First Minister of Scotland, and a position on the government task force on Scotland.

Ellis began his career in newspapers, gaining his first break as Marketing Director at The Sun, later reporting directly to Rupert Murdoch. He then became CEO of Celador International, taking Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to over 100 countries, before returning to Fleet Street as Managing Director of Mirror Group Newspapers, his first leadership role in a PLC. He went on to lead distribution and logistics business John Menzies, then joined the board of FirstGroup to turn around the fortunes of iconic transport operations like Greyhound across the Americas, radically challenging a culture of low morale, poor service, and bad public perception across a vast network. As global CEO of Simon Cowell's Syco Corporation, Ellis took an array of record labels and programme formats, including the X Factor and Got Talent formats, to international success. At DC Thomson, he transformed the group's business models, brands, and commercial direction, expanding into digital and data domains whilst preserving the integrity of a traditional, family-run firm.

Ellis challenges, motivates, and advises with an original insight, enthusiasm, and humour that is rare amongst senior business figures. Whether addressing the wrecking-ball nature of the digital revolution or shifts in the economic environment, he argues that external shocks and disruption can be a springboard for positive change. He shows audiences how to inspire passion when under pressure, and how to progress from mission statements to true company culture, embracing quality, integrity, and diversity. With fascinating views on leading through disruption, improving processes, and dealing with the complexities of governance and talent management, Ellis delivers keynotes that inform, inspire, and create lasting impact for organisations navigating transformation.