Northsound Radio announced yesterday (July 22) retail expert and television star Mary Portas will appear at the established Northsound Radio Business Dinner as the headline speaker.
Widely recognised as the UK’s foremost authority on retail and brand communication, and crowned “Queen of Shops” by the British media, Mary Portas will give the Aberdeen business community an insight into her fascinating career when she appears at the Northsound Radio Business Dinner on Thursday 12th November at the Marcliffe at Pitfodels.
Mary began her retail career at Harrods and Topshop, before joining Harvey Nichols, where she progressed to the board as Creative Director in 1989. She was credited with leading its transformation of the firm becoming established as a world renowned fashion store. In 1997 she launched her own agency, Yellowdoor, which made its mark in the creative advertising landscape, producing category challenging campaigns and championing brand development for clients including Clarks, Louis Vuitton, Oasis, Swarovski, Dunhill, among many others. In January 2013 she re-launched her agency as Portas with a new offer reflecting today's retail landscape, and how consumers behave today.
Inspired by her weekly ‘Shop!’ column in the Telegraph Magazine, Mary began her television career in 2007 when her efforts to rescue failing independent boutiques were documented by the BBC2 series Mary Queen of Shops. The show was nominated for two Royal Television Society Awards and a BAFTA.
Mary was awarded a Doctorate of Letters in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of marketing and brand communication within the retail sector. She continues to write weekly for the Telegraph magazine, and is regularly invited as a key note speaker for leading world brands. Mary is also a judge on the Telegraph’s Best Shops in Britain awards, and is regularly featured on the Independent’s Twittersphere!
Northsound’s Station Director Cathy Kirk says, “As the leading radio station in the North-East of Scotland we are proud to have a pivotal role in the local business community, which is reflected in the popularity of the dinner, and we’re thrilled to have Mary Portas as our keynote speaker at this year’s event”.
The Northsound Radio Business Dinner, now in its 23rd year, is a major highlight of the local business calendar, and has become established as one of the best professional social calendar events in Aberdeen attracting high-profile speakers such as Lord Digby Jones (2014), John Humphrys (2013), Jon Culshaw (2012), Nick Hewer (2011) and Alastair Campbell (2010) in previous years.