Mike Stevenson

Mike is a must have keynote speaker - a tour de force who surprises and delights in equal measure. Few are better at moving people to greater things and from the art of reinvention to stepping boldly into the future he never fails to inspire. His own journey from homelessness to award-winning entrepreneur is filled with remarkable people and events. His stories amaze and shock, his humour captivates and his insights will inspire. More than that, he lifts, he motivates, and he shifts mindsets.

He was founder of Thinktastic, an innovations agency, voted Scottish Small Company of Year 2008 and acclaimed for its unique approaches to stretching people and organisations beyond the ‘apparently’ possible. With more that 30 years in Marketing Mike has worked with a number of leading brand names including M&S, British Gas, Sky TV, SSE and Standard Life with each – the original brief was exceeded.

Mike’s motivational work with schools was given special recognition on three successive years with a Business in the Community award for Raising the Attainment of Young People while his community investments made him one of only 21 UK company directors to be awarded the inaugural Community Mark. In 2011, he picked up New Start Magazines Better Places Award. He was a founder member of Glasgow’s Wise Group and then of multi-award-winning creative agency, Design Links.

Chucked out of school at 15, Mike spent many months sleeping on the streets of London, then racked up 29 jobs before his 26th birthday – his CV includes steelworker, wine bottler, hod-carrier, hospital orderly, biscuit packer and community worker. He also enjoyed a stint as a musician and actor. He readily admits to the mental health challenges he’s faced and talks openly about his two stints in mental hospital.

He is a TEDx and Leadercast speaker – recently joining the likes of Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder in a Transatlantic leadership event. He is a regular media commentator on leadership, modern marketing and innovation, an occasional columnist for the Sunday Times and a two-times host of Disney Institute Master class.