Mary Portas OBE: 'When creativity and finance work in rhythm, it’s magical'

Mary Portas OBE, renowned retail consultant, broadcaster, and author - also known as Mary Queen of Shops - reflects on her career and shares insights on leadership, creativity and how CAs can help build businesses with purpose.  

To mark International Women’s Day, we welcomed Mary Portas OBE for an evening of conversation with TV and radio presenter Amy Irons. Mary explored her multi-faceted career, the importance of creativity in business and how CAs can help to build a more equitable society.

Proceeds from the evening went to Smartworks, the charity that empowers unemployed women with the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to succeed at their job interview and transform their lives.

Watch the video or read on to learn more:

Leadership and authenticity

Mary spoke openly about the pressures women face in business and the value of embracing intuition and authenticity.

“I want to be a woman who can be vulnerable, sensitive, and still lead.”

She also noted how undervaluing empathy and emotional intelligence can limit both leadership and organisational culture.

“I would have respected my intuition and feminine energy more – instead of leaning into patriarchal alpha culture.”

Her point was clear: leadership requires balance, combining human insight with confident decision-making.

Creativity and financial harmony

A central theme of the conversation was how creativity and finance complement each other. Mary stressed that bold ideas need practical financial oversight to succeed. She noted that finance teams are essential in turning creative ambitions into achievable outcomes.

“When creativity and finance work in rhythm, it’s magical.”

Profit with purpose

Mary emphasised that profit is essential to business, but it shouldn’t be the only goal. She encouraged organisations to consider how they can give back while remaining commercially successful:

“Business has to make profit – that’s what we’re there for. But if we can do it in a way that gives back, what a different place this would be.”

She also highlighted the role of Chartered Accountants (CAs) in enabling purpose-driven business, ensuring that creative and ethical ambitions remain achievable and sustainable.

“Every business needs a good accountancy team with an eye on the budget.”

For Mary, businesses that integrate purpose alongside profit are not only more ethical – they are better positioned for long-term success, fostering trust with employees, customers and communities.

Continue the conversation with our CA Women’s Network

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It’s an open, safe and supportive space to meet new people, discover new ideas and have the conversations that matter.

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