Will Butler-Adams

Will Butler-Adams is CEO of Brompton Bicycle, a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering who specialises in scaling manufacturing businesses whilst championing innovation, sustainability and British engineering excellence. Since taking the helm in 2008, he has transformed the iconic folding bike brand from a £2 million operation into a £130 million global enterprise exporting to 47 countries, and is now leading ambitious expansion plans including a new manufacturing facility in Ashford, Kent, opening in 2027. His sessions equip leaders with practical strategies for fostering what he calls 'managed disorder', building products designed to last, and proving that profitability and purpose can thrive together, leaving audiences with actionable insights on sustainable growth and the courage to disrupt comfortable thinking.

A chance conversation on a coach journey in 2002 led Will Butler-Adams to join Brompton Bicycle at the age of 28, when the London-based manufacturer employed just 27 people and turned over £2 million annually. Since becoming CEO in 2008, he has transformed the iconic British brand into a £130 million global operation employing over 800 staff, producing approximately 90,000 folding bikes each year and exporting to 47 countries whilst keeping manufacturing firmly rooted in the capital. Under his leadership, Brompton has launched innovative products including an electric drive system developed in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, and he is now steering the company's most ambitious expansion yet: a new manufacturing facility in Ashford, Kent, set to open in 2027 and twice the size of the current Greenford site. His work has proven that British manufacturing can thrive in the modern economy, combining engineering excellence with commercial ambition to build a business that serves over 1.2 million customers worldwide.

A Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a first-class degree from Newcastle University, Will honed his expertise at major corporations including Nissan, ICI and DuPont before bringing his passion for product development and manufacturing excellence to Brompton. His contributions to industry were recognised with an OBE in 2015 for services to manufacturing, and in 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, joining the nation's most distinguished engineering leaders. Beyond his commercial achievements, Will holds an honorary Doctorate from Imperial College London, where he serves as a visiting lecturer at the Dyson School of Engineering, teaching on innovation and entrepreneurship. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, the City and Guilds Institute and the Royal Geographical Society, and remains deeply committed to education and skills development through his work as a founding trustee of Inspiring the Future and his previous role as commissioner for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Will equips audiences with practical strategies for scaling organisations without sacrificing values, fostering innovation through what he calls 'managed disorder', and building products designed to last a lifetime rather than fuel obsolescence. His talks address the real challenges of manufacturing in Britain, the courage required to disrupt comfortable thinking, and the power of creating environments where creativity flourishes and employees feel genuinely empowered. Audiences leave with actionable insights on sustainable growth, export success, navigating ambitious expansion, and the conviction that businesses can deliver both commercial results and meaningful societal impact. Whether speaking to corporate leaders, entrepreneurs or engineers, Will demonstrates that profitability and purpose are not opposing forces but essential partners in building resilient organisations that stand the test of time.