Entrepreneur, former Dragons’ Den investor and AI expert inspiring audiences on innovation, growth and the future of work.
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
"Offered a unique insight into the topics discussed based on his own experiences, and his genuine understanding of capital markets."
Thomson Reuters
Piers Linney MBE is a British entrepreneur, investor, AI expert and former Dragons’ Den investor known for helping organisations navigate innovation, growth and digital transformation. From growing up in a Lancashire mill town to becoming a City lawyer, M&A banker and successful entrepreneur, Piers brings a remarkable personal and professional journey to the stage. His keynote speeches combine practical business insight, engaging storytelling and forward-thinking perspectives on artificial intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship and the future of work.
Piers Linney MBE is one of the UK’s most recognised entrepreneurs and commentators on artificial intelligence, innovation and business transformation. As a former investor on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, technology entrepreneur and investor, Piers has built a reputation for helping organisations understand the opportunities and challenges created by rapid technological change.
His career spans law, investment banking, entrepreneurship, technology, media and finance, giving him a unique perspective on how businesses can innovate, grow and remain competitive in an evolving global economy. Audiences value his ability to combine strategic insight with relatable personal experiences, making complex topics accessible, engaging and highly relevant.
Piers speaks on topics including AI, the future of work, entrepreneurship, business growth, leadership, innovation, financing and diversity. His talks are designed to inspire action while giving audiences practical frameworks they can apply immediately within their organisations.
Awarded an MBE by HM The King in 2026 for services to small business, entrepreneurs, investors, banking and diversity and social mobility, Piers continues to play an important role in shaping conversations around technology, inclusion and economic growth.
Piers’ journey is one defined by resilience, ambition and adaptability. Growing up in a Lancashire mill town, he overcame significant barriers to build a successful career in some of the world’s most competitive industries. He qualified as a solicitor before moving into investment banking and mergers and acquisitions, later becoming an entrepreneur and investor.
His experience as an investor on Dragons’ Den brought him into the public spotlight and established him as a trusted voice in entrepreneurship and innovation. During his time on the programme, he became known for identifying high-potential businesses and supporting founders with strategic growth.
His most successful investment from the show was Wonderbly, which became the programme’s most successful investment and generated a 43x return when sold in 2021. His experience evaluating businesses, supporting founders and scaling companies gives audiences valuable insight into what separates successful businesses from those that struggle to grow.
Beyond television, Piers has experienced both success and setbacks throughout his entrepreneurial journey. He navigated the dotcom crash in 2000 and faced major business challenges again in 2016. These experiences shaped his approach to leadership and innovation, giving him a grounded and realistic perspective that resonates strongly with audiences.
Piers is widely recognised for his expertise in artificial intelligence and digital transformation. He is a Co-founder of Implement AI, a leading provider of digital worker solutions helping organisations harness AI to improve efficiency, innovation and productivity.
Implement AI was named ‘AI Startup of the Year – London’ in the UK Startup Awards 2025, reflecting the company’s growing impact in helping businesses integrate AI into their operations.
As a keynote speaker, Piers explores how AI is transforming industries, changing the workplace and reshaping leadership. His talks focus on practical opportunities rather than fear-driven narratives, helping organisations understand how to use technology to create competitive advantage while supporting employees through change.
Audiences leave his presentations with a clearer understanding of:
Piers is also recognised as a ‘Top Artificial Intelligence Voice’ on LinkedIn, where he regularly shares insights on technology, leadership and the future of business.
Having founded and led businesses across multiple industries, Piers brings extensive real-world entrepreneurial experience to every keynote. His business ventures have included companies in technology, telecommunications, media and additive manufacturing.
He is also the Co-founder and Chairman of Atherton Bikes, an innovative mountain bike brand launched with the legendary Atherton siblings, who have collectively won eight World Championships. The company uses advanced additive manufacturing and 3D printing techniques to produce high-performance bikes that achieved first and second place at the World Championships in 2023.
This experience allows Piers to speak credibly about innovation, disruptive thinking and the importance of embracing new technologies. He explains how organisations can create cultures that encourage creativity, experimentation and long-term growth.
His sessions are especially valuable for organisations navigating disruption, scaling businesses or looking to foster entrepreneurial thinking within teams. Piers combines strategic insight with inspiring stories from his own experiences building businesses, overcoming setbacks and identifying new opportunities.
Piers is also a respected advocate for diversity, inclusion and social mobility in business. Recognised among the top 100 most influential Black Britons and included in the Financial Times / EMpower list of leading ethnic minority executives, he uses his platform to encourage more inclusive leadership and decision-making.
Drawing on both personal and professional experiences, Piers speaks openly about representation, opportunity and the value of diverse perspectives in business. He highlights how inclusive organisations are often more innovative, resilient and better positioned for long-term success.
He serves on Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council, helping shape the company’s strategy around diversity and inclusion through initiatives supported by a £30 million budget.
Piers also appeared on Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire, where he met a young prisoner he later mentored into becoming a cloud infrastructure expert working for a major technology consultancy. Stories like these bring authenticity and emotional impact to his talks, demonstrating the transformative power of opportunity, mentorship and belief.
Piers’ background extends far beyond entrepreneurship and technology. He has served as a qualified solicitor, investment banker, fund manager and Non-Executive Director of the government-owned British Business Bank.
During the rollout of £90 billion in Covid support funding, he played an important role supporting businesses through one of the most challenging economic periods in recent history. He has also represented small and medium-sized businesses on the government SME Procurement Panel and served for six years as a Trustee of Nesta, the UK’s largest innovation foundation.
This broad experience allows Piers to provide audiences with valuable insight into the intersection of business, finance, government and technology. He understands the pressures organisations face and delivers practical perspectives on leadership, growth and economic change.
Piers Linney delivers keynote speeches that are insightful, energetic and highly relevant to today’s business landscape. His ability to connect entrepreneurship, technology, leadership and human stories makes him a standout speaker for conferences, leadership events and corporate gatherings.
Audiences appreciate his engaging communication style, honest reflections and practical insights. Whether speaking about AI, innovation, resilience or the future of work, Piers leaves audiences motivated, informed and ready to embrace change.
Event organisers book Piers Linney for his ability to combine high-profile business credibility with relatable storytelling and actionable takeaways. His talks inspire leaders, entrepreneurs and teams to think differently, adapt faster and seize new opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven world.
5 of 5
"Offered a unique insight into the topics discussed based on his own experiences, and his genuine understanding of capital markets."
Thomson Reuters
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"Pass my thanks on to Piers. It was lovely to meet him and his speech was fabulous - we have had great feedback so far."
Reach Plc
Piers Linney
5 of 5
“Piers presented 5 incredibly valuable actions to enable a business to scale for IT Glue's EMEA Managed Services Provider audience and the feedback received has been excellent. His knowledge of the challenges being faced at this precise moment, advice on how to overcome them, along with the mistakes to avoid, demonstrated not only the extent of his expertise and experience in our market but provided enormous value for the audience to tap into. I'm excited to hear about the plans our clients have implemented and the subsequent impact of these as a result of Piers's insights - his candid answers during the Q&A when asked about the success of his investments on Dragon's Den were a real crowd pleaser too! “
Alex Sales Director, IT Glue, EMEA
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"Piers was a fantastic guest speaker for our event. His wealth of experience, coupled with his insight into future trends, was on point for our audience. We were looking for a celebrity who is also an expert, and that’s what we got. We had a great experience with Piers throughout, from the initial briefing call to the event itself. He made a real effort to understand our company and our product, and the care he took in tailoring his content for our event really shone through."
Gloria Marketing Manager, OneStream Software
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"We invited Piers to join in our conversation on ethnic diversity and race in the workplace and to share his thoughts on the role organisations have and actions they can take to ensure that they can access a more diverse pool of talent. Piers is a fantastic speaker and has an easy, upbeat and frank way of speaking about serious issues. With Piers, we had an open, honest and enlightening conversation with really good engagement from the online audience. It was very interesting hearing his own story which was truly inspiring. It was a popular event and the feedback on the session has been extremely positive. More importantly, Piers left us with lots to think about. One big take away from the session was “when hiring, don’t just hire yourself”. It was a fantastic Session!"
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Piers Linney
5 of 5
“We invited Piers to talk to our colleagues about diversity and its importance in business at our first ever digital internal conference. We’re at the start of our journey when it comes to talking about race and ethnic diversity in the workplace and Piers pitched his session perfectly for our colleagues. His session was informative, insightful and inspiring and garnered fantastic engagement and feedback from colleagues, with several describing it as the best presentation they’ve seen during their time with the business. We’d have Piers back again in a heartbeat, on any one of the wide variety of subjects on which he’s an expert!"
Lauren The Very Group
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"Piers has had the biggest impact of any speaker that we have hosted in the 3 years since we have been running events…Superefficient and easy to work with in organising, I wouldn't hesitate in working with Piers again."
Virgin StartUp
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"An amazing person and speaker. So popular that we ran out of headphones and space on our exhibition stand! It was an incredible sight."
Sage (UK) Ltd
Piers Linney
5 of 5
“Piers was keynote speaker and customer panel host at our Small Business Live event at Cisco Live Barcelona 2019. His presentation and panel resonated extremely well with our audience and were top-rated sessions from the event programme by attendees. Piers is an insightful, energetic and entertaining speaker, with thoughtprovoking ideas and insights based upon his extensive business experience. His vibrance and enthusiasm during his presentation kept the audience engaged from start to end. Not only was he well received by the audience, he was easy and personable to work with, spending extra time listening to the other speakers and interacting with our team and delegates.”
Wheller Director, Segment, Brand & Advocacy Marketing, Cisco EMEAR
Piers Linney
5 of 5
"A quick note to say thank you for speaking at our event this week. The customer feedback has been fantastic and your in conversation session with Michael was excellent. Really insightful, thought provoking and injected a real buzz into the room!"
Neil NatWest
Piers Linney
5 of 5
“Piers was invited to speak at our conference. The focus of his content was AI, providing an overview of its current capabilities and how they might evolve over the next few years. The subject area was incredibly current for our business, uncovering a thirst for more insight across the audience. Piers had a deep knowledge of AI, answering surprisingly advanced questions with ease, his delivery was engaging and held the audience right to the end.”
Adrian Jaggard CEO, Taylor Rose MW
Piers Linney
Keynote by Piers Linney:
From growing up in a Lancashire mill town and failing his 11+ exam to becoming a City lawyer, investment banker, entrepreneur and investor on BBC Dragons’ Den, Piers Linney shares a powerful and inspiring personal story about resilience, ambition and adaptability. In this keynote, Piers reflects on the defining moments, setbacks and opportunities that shaped his journey across law, finance, entrepreneurship and technology.
Audiences gain insight into what it takes to break through barriers, build confidence and succeed in highly competitive industries. Piers speaks openly about the challenges he faced throughout his career, including navigating failure, rebuilding after setbacks and adapting to industries constantly being reshaped by change and innovation.
Through engaging storytelling and practical lessons, he explores themes including leadership, social mobility, perseverance, entrepreneurship and embracing uncertainty. His journey from a traditional working-class background to becoming one of the UK’s most recognised entrepreneurs offers a relatable and motivating perspective for audiences from all industries and backgrounds.
This keynote is ideal for leadership conferences, business events, educational institutions and organisations looking to inspire teams to think bigger, take opportunities and develop a mindset built around resilience and long-term growth.
Keynote by Piers Linney:
Scaling a business successfully requires far more than a strong product or a good idea. In this keynote, Piers Linney shares practical lessons from building, investing in and advising high-growth businesses across technology, media, telecommunications and innovation-led industries.
Drawing on his experience as a successful entrepreneur, investor and former Dragons’ Den investor, Piers explains the realities of business growth and the challenges organisations face as they scale. He explores the pressures that come with expansion, including leadership development, financing, operational efficiency, recruitment, culture, innovation and adapting to rapidly changing market conditions.
Piers also shares his framework for sustainable business growth, highlighting the key factors that help organisations move from early-stage success to long-term scalability. Combining strategic insight with real business examples, he explains why adaptability, decision-making and innovation are critical during periods of growth.
Audiences gain practical insight into:
This keynote is especially valuable for entrepreneurs, founders, senior leaders and organisations looking to accelerate growth, drive innovation and scale more effectively in competitive markets.
Keynote by Piers Linney:
Artificial intelligence, automation and emerging technologies are reshaping the future of business, employment and leadership at an unprecedented pace. In this keynote, Piers Linney delivers a clear, engaging and practical perspective on how organisations can prepare for the next era of technological transformation.
As Co-founder of Implement AI and a recognised voice on artificial intelligence and innovation, Piers helps audiences understand how AI is already changing business operations, customer experience, productivity and decision-making. Drawing on his experience across technology, finance, entrepreneurship and his role as a Trustee of Nesta, the UK’s largest innovation foundation, he explains how businesses can remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Rather than focusing on fear-driven narratives, Piers highlights the opportunities that AI and emerging technologies create for growth, innovation and smarter ways of working. He explores how organisations can embrace digital transformation while ensuring employees are equipped with the skills and mindset needed for the future.
Audiences leave with a stronger understanding of:
This keynote is ideal for organisations, leadership teams and conferences exploring the future of work, digital transformation, AI strategy and business innovation.
Keynote by Piers Linney:
Piers Linney delivers authentic and thought-provoking insights on diversity, inclusion and social mobility based on both personal experience and leadership at the highest levels of business. Recognised as one of the UK’s most influential Black business leaders, Piers speaks openly about representation, opportunity and the barriers many people still face in education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Drawing on his work with Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council, charitable initiatives, mentoring and leadership experience across business and technology, Piers explains why inclusive organisations are often more innovative, adaptable and successful. He explores how diversity of thought, experience and perspective strengthens leadership, decision-making and long-term business performance.
Piers also shares personal stories that bring authenticity and emotional impact to his talks, including experiences from his own career and mentoring work. His approach combines practical business insight with honest reflection, encouraging audiences to think differently about culture, leadership and access to opportunity.
Audiences gain insight into:
This keynote is especially relevant for organisations focused on leadership, workplace culture, inclusion, talent development and creating more equitable opportunities across business and society.
Watch Piers Linney in action!
Watch Piers Linney in action
