Michelle Mone OBE
About
Michelle is one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs and founder of international lingerie brand, Ultimo. She was voted as Britain’s Number One most powerful woman in business by Glamour magazine as well as receiving an OBE from The Queen in 2010 in recognition of her services to UK business.
Michelle Mone (Michelle Georgina Mone OBE) got a marketing job with brewer Labatt, and within two years she had become their head of marketing in Scotland.
Mone had read about a new silicone product while on holiday in Florida, and obtained the European licence to make bras from it. She founded MJM International Ltd in November 1996, and three years of research, design, and development resulted in the patented Ultimo bra.
In August 1999, a month after having her third child, Mone launched Ultimo at Selfridges department store in London. Selfridges sold the pre-launch estimate of six weeks of stock within 24 hours, which is still known as the biggest ever bra launch in the UK, with over 50 photographers present and camera crews from all over the world.
In April 2000, Mone won the World Young Business Achiever Award.
Mone won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the British Apparel Export Awards.
In 2001 Prince Charles invited Mone to join the Board of Directors for The Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust, and more recently the Board of Main Council, as part of which she dedicates time to mentoring and supporting young people throughout Scotland every year.
In November 2002, Mone was awarded an honorary Doctorate by Paisley University.
The company was launched in the traditional ship building district of Glasgow, Govan, bringing to needed jobs an area which has experienced a long period of decline.
Michelle is a dedicated charity supporter, fundraiser and volunteer and has raised thousands of pounds for organisations of all sizes.
Michelle has delivered keynote speeches to industry delegates, business leaders, corporate audiences and ladies’ events across Europe and America, as well as forming part of expert judging panels for many organisations spanning the business spectrum.