Mary Portas
Mary Portas is a businesswoman, broadcaster, author and activist. At age 32, she became a board member at Harvey Nichols before founding her own retail consultancy, Portas where she continues to work with the biggest names in global retail.
Her BBC series, Mary, Queen of Shops premiered in 2007 and she has presented on television and radio ever since. In 2009, she partnered with Save the Children to reinvent charity shops. She also conducted a review of the future for high streets for the British government in 2011.
As co-chair of the Better Business Act, Mary heads a coalition of businesses calling for a change in the law to ensure UK companies align their interests with those of wider society and the environment.
In 2024, Mary was awarded an OBE for her services to business, broadcasting and charity.
