Join us in-person or live online for an evening of anecdotes, business advice and inspiration with ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas OBE.  

Mary Portas OBE is a renowned retail consultant, broadcaster, businesswoman, government advisor and author, famous for transforming major brands like Harvey Nichols and for TV shows like Mary Queen of Shops.  

She’ll sit with TV and Radio Presenter, Amy Irons, to discuss her multi-faceted career, the importance of creativity in business and how finance professionals can help to build a more equitable society. 

They’ll discuss: 

• Mary’s career, from John Lewis Saturday shop assistant to creative director at Harvey Nichols, to government retail star.  
• The key role creativity plays in fuelling business strategy. 
• How purpose-led business can drive societal change.  
• The role of the finance professional in enabling business as a force for good.  
• How we can achieve a more equitable society and ‘balance the scales’. 

If you’re there in person, you can join us for networking drinks before and after the discussion.  

And if you can’t make it to Glasgow on the night you can watch our livestream. 

All proceeds from tickets sales will go to Smart Works, the charity that empowers unemployed women with the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to succeed at their job interview and transform their lives.

If you are joining us online, please consider making a donation to our chosen charity. 

• ICAS students, members and non-members

• Mary Portas OBEFounder & Executive Creative Director, PortasMary Portas is a businesswoman, broadcaster, author and activist. At age 32, she became a board member at Harvey Nichols before founding her own retail consultancy. Mary has since worked with some of the biggest names in global retail. Her BBC series, Mary, Queen of Shops premiered in 2007 and she has presented on television and radio ever since. In 2009, she partnered with Save the Children to reinvent charity shops. She also conducted a review of the future for high streets for the UK government in 2011. In 2024, she was awarded an OBE for her services to business, broadcasting and charity.

• Amy IronsTV & Radio Presenter, FreelanceAmy Irons is an award-winning Scottish TV and radio presenter, journalist, voiceover artist and event host. She hosts The Saturday Show on BBC Radio Scotland and is one half of the hugely successful BBC sounds football podcast: Sacked in the Morning which has entertained full crowds on the road including at the Edinburgh festival. After a decade in the industry she’s been seen and heard on the likes of; Off the Ball, BBC’s Five Live breakfast, Radio 1 and even Scot Squad!