Will Butler-Adams

Brimming with energy and big ideas, the boss of Brompton Bicycle and Brompton Bike Hire Will Butler-Adams (OBE) rides out onto the conference platform to share his vision and truly impressive business and branding knowledge with  keynote  audiences.

As Britain’s biggest bike producer, the London-made Brompton brand has been steered to new heights with Will at the handle-bars. Expert in creating managed disorder Will is continuously disrupting comfortable thinking in order to create innovation.

Combining expert engineering and very genuine passion for their ‘urban transport solutions’, the company designs, produces and distributes over 50,000 folding bikes each year from their UK factory in Brentford; with its signature wheels, curved frame, and storage-friendly collapsibility, the cult product comprises an incredible 1200 parts.

After joining its founder and inventor Andrew Ritchie in 2002, Will has excelled the business from 24 to 240 staff, launched a Brompton bicycle hire scheme, and introduced his powerful vision for the future of cycling (‘its future is electric’) to spearhead a new surge in British manufacturing; he foresees an age of ‘pedelecs’ that will use motors to boost struggling cyclists up hills (and make us all feel like super-heroes).

Driven by his dream to see 40% of people cycling in London by the time he hits 80, it is not surprising that Will is in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list of influentials.

Hugely popular over-seas, with a staggering 80% of sales accounted for by export to 45 countries, Will demonstrates that investment in our export market can produce real growth, and his plans include further expansion into China (by not having patents).

In his presentations, he also explains his belief in 'building out' obsolescence: owners fall in love with a product designed to last a lifetime. As a result, rather than suffering the frustration of having to replace something, they promote sales by using social media to tell friends how wonderful it is.

Brompton operates in a similar way to specialist car manufacturers. The R&D department works tirelessly on both small, mechanical details and big ideas like a 'smart' battery-powered model. They also launch new colours and offer customised options, with the minimum of marketing. Will is pioneering an investment into electric fold-up bicycles – the Londoner’s perfect accessory!

Alongside his Brompton mission, Will is one of the champions of the Make It In Great Britain campaign, trustee of Speakers4Schools, Commissioner for the UKCES, Trustee of Investors in People, and Trustee of Inspiring the Future.

His speaking topics include:

- Marketing and branding

- Business strategy and competitiveness

- Manufacturing excellence - ‘building out’ obsolescence

- Why the future of the foldable bike is electric

- Investing in the export market