Claire Harper

Claire Harper is a leading business figure who has unparalleled experience in marketing, change management, branding and enterprise. With the success of some of the UK's leading brands to her name, including Argos, Ocado, Sainsburys and Mamas & Papas, Claire's journey from corporate marketeer to fledgling entrepreneur is inspirational and full of valuable messages gleaned from working at the heart of business and implementing innovation and cultural change in influential and progressive brands.

At the age of 26 she joined the newly-launched Ocado as head of customer acquisition and PR and was soon promoted to head of marketing. At the heart of the proposition from the beginning, when online grocery shopping was clunky and ineffective, Claire led the extraordinarily visionary business into the thrilling, unexplored territory that has now become the way customers across the world shop every day.

In sync with creating the business and watching it grow, Claire's passion and drive elevated her knowledge and experience to the highest level of influencing business, from where she could fight off competition, turn an entire concept on its head and create a whole new customer-centric space in the market.
Four years later she was headhunted to join Sainsbury's CEO Justin King's new leadership team to work her magic on the flagging brand and to make Sainsbury's great again. Forward- thinking, and by now proficient at adapting business plans to reflect the ever-changing future, Claire successfully launched the supermarket giant's multi-channel experience, and consolidated the brand with its customer communications.

With a hunger for new challenges, Claire's move to Yorkshire placed her as the first ever female board director at nursery retailer Mamas & Papas, a strong family business which had moved from wholesale to retail. Tasked with growing the brand in the UK and abroad, Claire had to build and strengthen a positive culture, and to ensure that the business prioritised understanding the customer at the deepest level.

It was at this juncture of her career that Claire and her husband welcomed their first daughter Coco into the family, and Claire faced the challenge of balancing a successful and demanding job with taking care of a newborn. Honest and frank about her decisions, including some mistakes, Claire's endearing interpretation of how women can try to have it all is inspirational and resounding.

When second child India was born in 2011, she proved to be the change catalyst that empowered the entrepreneurial spirit inside Claire to burst forth, in the form of IndiaCoco, a best of British kids' clothing brand. In the face of appealing job offers from major retail businesses, Claire made the brave and determined decision to start her own business. Two years down the line, the business is growing and award winning and is set to become a multi channel market leader.

Claire leads all commercial and marketing activity for London Pulse Netball Club. London Pulse are are the rising stars of the Netball Super League Championship. Working for the CEO and England Netball, Claire is using her retail and commercial skills to really help grow the club in terms of acquiring new sponsors, partners, increasing commercial revenue to support the growth of the sport and accelerate professionalisation. London Pulse is now firmly established as a flagship franchise within the Netball Super League.

Claire’s passion and energy is a feature of her keynote speeches. Added to her vast knowledge of the retail market and understanding of business growth and change, she is well placed to convey her wisdom, know-how and strategies.

Claire’s compelling keynote speeches topics include, but are not limited to:

• Marketing and branding. An insight into the essential tools to succeed in capturing the hearts and minds of new and loyal customers.

• The ideal customer. How to ensure your brand continues to adapt and develop its customer strategy in a constantly changing retail and digital market.

• Women in business. How to challenge the status quo and prove that the male-dominated world in business and retail is no longer a reality.

• Change Management and leadership. Why leading from the front, embracing change, developing talent and empowering colleagues is a good recipe for achieving success with a highly motivated, positive and energetic team.

• Successful start-ups. How to deal with the rollercoaster ride of creating and establishing your own business and draw on the challenges that inspire and help you to push the boundaries.

• Women in sport. How to raise the profile of female sports and why gender equality, diversity and inclusion is so important.