20 Speaker Bureau Agents Serving the United Kingdom

Last updated: 11 August 2026.

A speaker bureau is not just a list of famous names. The useful work happens in the match between the event brief, the audience, the speaker's way of working and the details that make the day run well.

The people below work across speaker liaison, booking, account management, event operations, talent management and bureau direction. They are a practical starting point for anyone planning a conference, leadership event, awards evening or executive session in the United Kingdom.

This is a focused recognition list of current people at UK-facing speaker bureaux and agencies. The final count stays honest to the people who earned a full article entry.

Why these roles matter

A strong event brief still needs someone who can interpret it. A useful bureau contact can ask the question behind the question, spot when a familiar name is the wrong fit, and keep the audience, format and desired outcome connected.

There is a useful distinction between the person who helps shape the shortlist and the person who keeps the booking moving. Some of the people below sit close to both jobs. Others bring specialist depth in speaker liaison, event management, talent or agency leadership.

For a wider look at the organisations that help source leadership speakers, read this guide to speaker bureaux for leadership speakers.

The people to know

1. Holly Kerley

Director, The Speakers Agency

The Speakers Agency lists Holly as its Director. The agency says she joined Pall-Ex in 2004 and later headed its marketing team, organising awards nights, internal sales conferences and the sourcing of speakers, hosts and entertainers. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That background gives her a useful connection between event planning and speaker representation. For an organiser, the practical value is the ability to understand the event brief from both sides of the room, including the audience, the format and the work that has to happen before the stage lights come on.

2. Harriet Wilton

Booking Agent, The Speakers Agency

The Speakers Agency lists Harriet as a Booking Agent and says she joined the team in 2022 after graduating from university. The page describes her interest in connecting clients with suitable speakers and seeing events come together from start to finish. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

The agency also says Harriet has worked with keynote speakers and has a particular interest in the comedy circuit and awards nights. That combination matters when an event needs a person who can match a speaker to the mood, audience and format rather than simply send a list of names.

3. Jane Farnham

Founding Director, Great British Speakers

Great British Speakers identifies Jane as a founding director. The bureau describes her background in broadcast and corporate presentation, including her own voice-over business, and says she works across live and recorded consumer and business audiences. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That mix is relevant to organisers whose speaker brief has to work beyond a single stage appearance. Jane's listed experience points to the value of clear communication, audience awareness and the ability to shape a message for a room, a camera or a business audience.

4. Steve Denison

Founding Director, Great British Speakers

Great British Speakers identifies Steve as a founding director and says he created, owned, developed and managed an AV company for more than 30 years. The page connects that work with live events, exhibition stands and content creation for large organisations. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

This is a useful perspective for a speaker bureau because the event is more than the speaker's words. Steve's background sits close to the production, timing and practical constraints that can affect whether a good brief becomes a smooth experience for the audience.

5. Sophie Salome

Head of Speaker Liaison, Speakers in Partnership

Speakers in Partnership lists Sophie as Head of Speaker Liaison. The agency describes work that includes sourcing speakers, building event programmes and managing the logistics around speaker preparation and delivery. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That role sits at the point where a good event idea becomes a workable speaker relationship. Sophie is relevant to anyone who needs a brief translated into clear communication with the speaker, the organiser and the wider event team.

6. George Weller

Senior Manager, Speakers and Marketing, Speakers in Partnership

Speakers in Partnership lists George as Senior Manager, Speakers and Marketing. The agency works across speaker sourcing, conference agendas and specialist financial-services events, giving the role a bridge between talent, audience and how the event is positioned. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That combination is useful when the event needs more than a recognisable name. George's role suggests attention to the story the event is trying to tell, the audience it is trying to reach and the practical way a speaker fits the wider programme.

7. Rob Avis

Director, Business Development, Speakers in Partnership

Speakers in Partnership lists Rob as Director of Business Development. The agency describes a service that helps clients source speakers and manage the broader event relationship, from an initial brief through to the work around delivery. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

Business development in this setting is not only about bringing an opportunity into the bureau. It is also about understanding what the client is trying to achieve and connecting that need with a speaker, format and level of support that can work in practice.

8. Kim Plinke

Director, Head of Events, Speakers in Partnership

Speakers in Partnership lists Kim as Director and Head of Events. Its public description highlights hands-on work before an event and on site, alongside the speaker sourcing and briefing that make those logistics possible. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That makes Kim relevant when the event brief has a lot of moving parts. A clear relationship between the event lead, the speaker and the bureau can reduce last-minute confusion and protect the quality of the audience experience.

9. Andrew Stoney

Associate Director, JLA

JLA lists Andrew as an Associate Director. JLA says its account managers act as a client sounding board from the first suggestions through the post-event debrief, and that the team supports bookings with advice and logistics. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

The value of a role like this is the conversation before the shortlist is fixed. An organiser can use that sounding-board relationship to test whether a speaker fits the audience, the desired outcome and the way the event will actually run.

10. Allan Grant

Associate Director, JLA

JLA lists Allan as an Associate Director within its UK speaker bureau and event consultancy team. JLA describes a personalised process that runs from the first enquiry through to the post-event debrief. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That wider process matters because speaker selection is only one part of a successful booking. Allan's place on the team is a reminder that the bureau relationship can include brief shaping, practical advice and support after the event, not only the initial introduction.

11. Barbara de Lacy

Associate Director, JLA

JLA lists Barbara as an Associate Director. The bureau describes its team as combining knowledge of speakers with client feedback, impartial advice and end-to-end event support. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

Barbara is therefore relevant to organisers who want to think carefully about fit rather than treat the shortlist as a catalogue. The useful question is what the audience needs to do, feel or understand after the session, and which speaker can help create that result.

12. Emily Collier

Head of Performance, JLA

JLA lists Emily as Head of Performance. That title gives the public team page a named focus on the quality and delivery of talent used in events, alongside the bureau's broader account and logistics work. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

Performance is a helpful lens for a speaker brief because the best content still has to land in a particular room. Emily's role is relevant when an organiser wants to consider delivery, audience connection and the practical conditions that help a speaker do their best work.

13. Simon King

Exclusive Talent Manager, JLA

JLA lists Simon as Exclusive Talent Manager. The role connects the bureau's client-facing work with the management side of speaker and talent relationships, while JLA describes a service built around appropriate matches and lasting client relationships. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That perspective can be useful when a booking involves more than one conversation. The organiser, speaker and bureau all need a shared understanding of the brief, the boundaries and the details that will help the talent deliver well.

14. Georgia Sharp

Senior Account Manager, JLA

JLA lists Georgia as a Senior Account Manager. JLA says its account managers are the client's sounding board and all-in-one logistics team from first suggestions through the post-event debrief. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That makes the role particularly close to the organiser's day-to-day experience. Georgia is relevant to anyone who wants a named person to help refine the brief, compare options and keep the practical pieces connected before and after the booking.

15. Jessica Mears

Senior Account Manager, JLA

JLA lists Jessica as a Senior Account Manager within its UK speaker bureau team. The bureau's public explanation of the role covers speaker recommendations, client support and logistics through to the post-event debrief. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

The role shows why the person handling the account can shape the quality of the outcome. Jessica is relevant when an organiser needs the shortlist, the event format and the delivery details to remain connected instead of being treated as separate tasks.

16. Tim Gold

Director, Account Management and Marketing, Speakers Corner

Speakers Corner lists Tim as Director of Account Management and Marketing. That role joins the client advice side of the bureau with the way its speaker service is presented to organisers. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

The combination is useful because a speaker brief has both a decision-making and a communication challenge. Tim's role sits close to helping clients understand their options, while also making the bureau's offer clear enough for the right conversation to begin.

17. Nick Gold

Managing Director, Speakers Corner

Speakers Corner lists Nick as Managing Director. The team page says the bureau works with more than 12,000 speakers and supports organisers who want recommendations as well as bookings. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

A managing director role provides a useful view of the whole booking system, from the strength of the network to the quality of the client experience. Nick is relevant when the event needs a considered recommendation rather than a simple search result.

18. Scarlet McKeown

Senior Account Manager, Speakers Corner

Speakers Corner lists Scarlet as a Senior Account Manager. The team structure connects that role with speaker recommendations, booking support and the event delivery work that follows a decision. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That is the practical centre of many speaker bureau relationships. Scarlet is relevant to organisers who want a clear point of contact to help turn a broad idea into a speaker choice, a workable brief and a booking that is ready for the day itself.

19. James Price

Senior Account Manager, Speakers Corner

Speakers Corner lists James as a Senior Account Manager in its UK booking and event-management team. The bureau describes a service that supports organisers from recommendations through to the practical work around an event. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

That makes the role useful when a speaker choice has to survive contact with the real programme. James is relevant to anyone who wants the brief, the speaker relationship and the event details kept aligned as the booking moves forward.

20. Lucy Baily

Head of Sales and Marketing, Speakers Corner

Speakers Corner lists Lucy as Head of Sales and Marketing. The role is connected to how the bureau helps organisers find speakers, understand its service and shape the first version of an event brief. Read the current team page for the organisation's description of the role.

Lucy is relevant at the beginning of the decision because the quality of the first conversation often determines the quality of the shortlist. A useful bureau contact should make the organiser's goal clearer, not simply make the list of available names longer.

Conclusion

The common thread across these roles is that speaker selection is a piece of event design. The right person helps an organiser clarify the audience, the outcome, the format and the support required around the speaker.

That is why bureau direction, account management, speaker liaison, talent management and event operations all matter. They are different jobs, but they meet in the same place: helping a good brief become a useful experience for the people in the room.

About the Author

Jonno White helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at. He is the founder of Consult Clarity and works with leadership teams through practical keynotes, workshops and facilitated sessions.

Next Read

If you are planning a high-stakes event, compare these 50 keys to choosing a high-stakes keynote speaker with the brief you are writing. You can also compare the job of a keynote versus a motivational speaker before you make the final decision.

A practical next move

Write the event outcome in one sentence, then ask the person handling your brief what they would want to know before suggesting a speaker. The quality of that exchange will tell you more than a long list of names.