Michelle Mone OBE

Michelle Mone is the creator of the bust-boosting Ultimo bra. After leaving school at fifteen with no qualifications, she took a job making tea at a brewery, progressed into sales and is now one of Scotland's most successful and influential entrepreneurs.

Michelle launched her own company after seeing a gap in the lingerie market. At the end of three years' development, the Ultimo was launched at Selfridges amidst huge media interest. The store sold out within 24 hours. When it was then worn by Julia Roberts in a movie, it became the fastest growing 'intimate apparel' brand in Europe.

Success led to an expanding collection, licences for some of the biggest lingerie brands and a never-ending stream of publicity. Michelle has opened a number of Ultimo concessions within Debenhams and launched a new range in Tesco - with plans for further expansion in the States. She has also developed a number of other business ventures.

Michelle's presentation tells how she initially struggled to get her idea off the ground - armed with a practical idea and limited contacts, but no money. She shows how persistence paid off, how one success led to another, and how she still retains the hunger to develop new products. She believes straightened times provide a perfect opportunity to improve the work ethic.

Michelle Mone is a board member of The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust and Save the Children. She writes for The Sun as their Business Doctor and appeared on ITV1's reality show, 71 Degrees North.

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