Richard Branson

Richard Branson is Founder of the Virgin Group, a global entrepreneur recognised for building one of the world's most distinctive brands across aviation, space travel, hospitality and telecommunications. Having launched Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, he expanded into Virgin Records, signing artists from the Sex Pistols to The Rolling Stones, and now oversees more than 40 Virgin companies worldwide. Knighted for his services to entrepreneurship, Richard pioneered commercial spaceflight with Virgin Galactic and continues expanding Virgin Hotels whilst championing social impact through Virgin Unite and its initiatives including The Elders and The B Team. Audiences gain actionable insight into disruptive innovation, purpose-driven leadership and entrepreneurial resilience from someone who has consistently transformed industries and redefined what business can achieve.

At 16, Richard Branson launched Student magazine from a church crypt, marking the first step in a journey that would transform him into one of the world's most recognisable entrepreneurs. What began as a mail order record retailer in 1970 evolved into Virgin Records, signing groundbreaking artists from Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" to the Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones. That early instinct for spotting opportunity and challenging convention has since grown into more than 40 Virgin companies operating across 35 countries, spanning aviation, telecommunications, hospitality, banking and space travel. His ability to enter established industries and reimagine them has made Virgin one of the most distinctive brands globally, whilst his knighthood for services to entrepreneurship recognises decades of disruptive innovation.

Richard's credibility stems not only from commercial success but from his willingness to push boundaries both professionally and personally. He has pursued record-breaking adventures including the fastest Atlantic crossing and multiple oceanic balloon journeys, describing Virgin Galactic, the world's first commercial spaceline, as "the greatest adventure of all". His commitment to commercial spaceflight continues to drive Virgin Galactic's progress, whilst Virgin Hotels expands its presence as a female-friendly hospitality brand designed to challenge traditional hotel experiences. With nearly 40 million social media followers, Richard maintains an active voice on entrepreneurship, environmental issues and purposeful business. His involvement spans real estate innovation, where he explores future industry trends, to securing critical lifelines for Virgin Atlantic during challenging periods, demonstrating his hands-on leadership across the group.

Beyond building profitable enterprises, Richard dedicates substantial energy to entrepreneurial solutions for global challenges. In 2004, he established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which has since incubated influential organisations including The Elders, The B Team and Ocean Unite. Audiences who engage with Richard gain practical insight into turning obstacles into opportunities, building brands with personality and purpose, and leading businesses that generate positive change alongside profit. His presentations combine hard-won lessons from five decades of entrepreneurship with actionable strategies for innovation, resilience and values-driven leadership. Whether addressing corporate leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs or industry specialists, Richard delivers tangible frameworks for challenging assumptions, taking calculated risks and creating organisations that matter beyond their balance sheets.