Book IWD Speaker: Katy Leeson

Former CEO of Relentless Group, Former UK MD & Operations Director of Social Chain, 2x LinkedIn Top Voice & Host of the Top 5 Business Podcast "I Shouldn't Say This, But..."

Katy Leeson is one of the UK's top marketing leaders, growth coaches and keynote speakers, best known for scaling Steven Bartlett's Social Chain from a start-up of around 30 employees into a global marketing powerhouse employing more than 750 people across 24 international offices. Renowned for combining commercial success with authentic leadership, Katy has built a reputation for helping organisations develop high-performing teams, create purpose-driven workplace cultures and empower future leaders. Her career across media, marketing, executive leadership and entrepreneurship has made her one of the UK's most respected voices on leadership, workplace culture, female empowerment and personal growth.

Katy began her career at Feather Brooksbank before joining MediaCom North in 2010, where she progressed to Head of New Business and Marketing. These early roles developed her expertise in business development, client relationships, brand strategy and leadership, laying the foundations for her future success.

In 2016, Katy joined Social Chain as Operations Director before becoming UK Managing Director in 2017. Working alongside Steven Bartlett, she helped transform the business into one of the world's leading social media agencies, growing the company into a business valued at more than £300 million. She became recognised for building high-performing teams and creating an award-winning workplace culture during one of the fastest periods of growth in the marketing industry.

Following Social Chain, Katy became Chief Executive Officer of Relentless Group, Gary Neville's media company. She led the marketing strategy behind successful brands including Salford City FC, Stick to Football and The Overlap, which has become one of the UK's leading YouTube channels with more than 1.6 million subscribers. More recently, Katy has worked as a Growth Coach and Consultant, Marketing Director for NADINE MERABI and, in 2025, co-founded Blank Space Content Studios. In 2026, she published Energy Aligned Goals 2026: Your Complete Workbook for Setting Goals That Actually Fuel You, sharing her practical approach to sustainable success.

Katy's achievements have earned widespread recognition. She was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2019 and 2020, recognised as a Campaign Female Frontier Honouree, selected as one of Business Live's 22 Women in Leadership and was an IPA Women of Tomorrow finalist. Alongside her commercial career, she has supported Smart Works Charity and Prevent Breast Cancer.

As a keynote speaker, Katy delivers practical, honest and engaging presentations on female leadership, imposter syndrome, mental health at work, company culture, marketing, next-generation leadership and business growth. Drawing on her own experiences, she provides audiences with practical strategies they can immediately apply within their organisations and careers.

Her speaking expertise has been recognised through numerous industry accolades. Katy was voted the UK's No.1 Imposter Syndrome Speaker, achieved an outstanding 9.5 out of 10 client rating for her keynote speaking and consultancy work, and in 2026 was selected by Socialnomics as one of Europe's 17 Top-Rated Keynote Speakers to Work with. She was also named the UK's No.1 Female Business Leader to Follow by The Motivational Speakers Agency.

Katy is especially sought after for International Women's Day events, where she inspires audiences through her honest account of overcoming self-doubt, navigating executive leadership and building a successful career in industries where female leaders remain underrepresented. By sharing both her successes and challenges, she empowers audiences to lead with confidence, embrace authenticity and fulfil their potential, making her an outstanding role model for women in business and leadership.

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