Dave Bryon

Dave Bryon took low-cost airline BMI Baby from nothing to carrying nearly four million passengers. As a business speaker  he provides valuable observations into a side of the aviation industry the passenger rarely sees, with humour and an astute awareness of the high level of branding, marketing and customer service that running a business requires.

Dave has always viewed Charles Darwin as his role model, believing that the scientist’s strategy of gathering all the evidence first and then evaluating and making logical and lateral conclusions, is the most effective way of running a business. When conclusions oppose public and professional opinion, they become even more brave and impressive. After years of travelling, and reaching conclusions about the travel industry based on extensive personal experience, Dave believes that the secret to success is to think outside the box and challenge and change.

After completing a PhD at Liverpool University, Dave moved to the University of South Carolina, where the focus on practical business experience is integral to academic achievement. In the US he began working with various small businesses and learning how they operated from the shop floor. His effusive personality and sharp wit also led Dave in front of camera, and he hosted a talk show on cable TV, as well as writing a hilarious weekly newspaper column.

He returned to the UK to work for BMI, where, after two years, he was recruited onto the start-up team for bmibaby as commercial director and eventually managing director. The company grew beyond expectations and eventually carried almost four million passengers.

Dave’s business acumen and his charisma and charm are always kept in check by his eternal humility and self-awareness. He lost his baby son Charlie to meningitis in 2001. “It was very sudden and our lives were shattered,” he says. “Immediately everything was put into perspective, and I therefore get frustrated when people place too much emphasis on things that are actually not that important.”

As a keynote or after-dinner speaker, Dave brings an enticing blend of business acumen, practical take-aways,humor and humility making him an ideal choice for corporate events.