Keynote SpeakersKate Hardcastle MBE, The Customer Whisperer, is an award-winning consumer and retail expert.
As a result, she is the UK’s leading ‘go-to’ business expert on consumer insight for National TV & Media.
Kate has contributed her unique brand of knowledgeable commentary to hundreds of interviews for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky News.
She has also presented and provided expertise for leading consumer shows, including:
- Rip Off Britain (BBC 1)
- Watchdog (BBC 1)
- What Britain Bought (Channel 4)
- Battlefront (Channel 4)
- Inside Out (BBC 1)
- Eat Shop Save (ITV1)
Kate was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018 and received the Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award.
“Kate is the ultimate professional with a serious amount of knowledge, coupled with the ability to debate the industry’s biggest trends and challenges”
Seamless Global Conferences
She has also been celebrated with 26 National and international commerce awards, including:
- Business Woman of the Year
- Inspiration Award
- Influencer of the Year
Her work is respected globally. Projects have included the successful turnaround of ailing retail brands and shopping centres, the creation of powerful consumer brands, and consultants to oversee business redevelopment, restructuring, and takeovers.
Kate is the founder and owner of Insight with Passion, a business transformation organisation that partners clients to greater commercial success. Insight with Passion has delivered change for brands including The Co-op, Trutex, and retail and leisure property investor NewRiver REIT plc.
Kate is a Trustee for the Diana Award, a charity supporting young people. Furthermore, she is an ambassador for several charities, including Women In Sport and the northern branches of the RSPCA. She has been a significant supporter of various charities. She has donated time for over 50 free workshops and training events, assisting over 1000 Yorkshire small businesses and charities with commercial advice and strategy.
Kate Hardcastle Retail Speaker and Consumer Insight Speaker
Kate Hardcastle is a valued business speaker on topics including:
- Consumer Behaviour
- Retail
- Customer Service
- Developing Talent
- Women in Business
- Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
- Omnichannel Retailing: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Meeting Consumer expectations around convenience
- Upcycled Products and the Circular Economy / Sharing Economy
- Building a Modern Brand
Three-fifths of consumers believe customer service isn’t seen as necessary enough. Kate wants to change this.
Through seminars and workshops with businesses, along with various initiatives, she is on a mission to make the customer the heart of every organisation.
With a passion for sustainability in retail and consumer space, Kate has incorporated this into all her consumer-facing and business-facing work. She founded the ‘Buy Smarter, Buy Greener’ movement to empower consumers into ‘realistic environmentalism’ – making changes that benefit their lifestyles alongside the planet.
She has delivered presentations at events, including the Retail World Congress, Arabian Business Conference, and The Business Show. Furthermore, Kate has presented speeches alongside many headline speakers, including Bill Clinton.
Kate is also an experienced Chair, Moderator and Host for live events and conferences, the most recent include The Tech Show (London), Shop Talk (Las Vegas), Seamless (Dubai), The Retail Summit (Dubai).
