Kevin Gaskell

Kevin Gaskell is an extraordinary leader who led iconic brands Porsche, BMW and Lamborghini to unprecedented levels of success.

Kevin always planned to be a Civil Engineer, and after graduating in Structural Engineering and winning the ‘Institution of Civil Engineers Prize’ at the University of Bradford he accepted a scholarship to study for an MBA. He then enjoyed a number of years as a construction engineer working on projects including the Birmingham NEC, M54 Motorway and Pedigree Petfoods Head office.

But then it all changed. Kevin’s frustration at the inefficiency of the construction industry encouraged him to seek new areas of challenge. He was invited to join Dow Corning Manufacturing as a management accountant and enjoyed four years of accountancy study and the development of his commercial skills.

In 1987, he then followed his passion — and a Sunday Times job advert — to join Porsche Cars Great Britain Limited as a Regional Manager. After four years of steadily increasing responsibility, Kevin was asked at the age of 32 to accept the role of Managing Director. He remained at Porsche for five years where his team rebuilt the brand and turned a business close to bankruptcy into the UK’s most profitable car business. During this period the company bought and revitalised Lamborghini GB Limited and reorganised and remodelled the AFN motor retail group.

Aged 37, Kevin Gaskell was then invited to accept the role as Group CEO of BMW GB Limited where he led the repositioning of the BMW brand and was responsible for 500% increase in profitability and a record growth of 80% in sales. He left BMW to follow his vision of remodelling the automotive sector by the establishment of CarsDirect.com, one of the first generation of online retailers of new cars.

Kevin was now firmly established as one of the UK’s most outstanding business minds.

Examining Kevin’s track record surprises some people. As a leader that has built four international companies from ‘a good idea’ to creating over £1 billion in shareholder value, he still found time to celebrate his 40th birthday by climbing Mount Everest. He has subsequently climbed, and continues to climb, some of the world’s highest mountains. And Kevin has also walked with his son, unsupported, to both the North and South Poles to raise money for Cancer Research and to support the personal development of special needs students.

Kevin has a passion for actions that get results – in everything he does. He passionately believes that ordinary people can deliver extraordinary results given the invitation to believe in the goal and the opportunity to contribute towards its achievement. He has always built success with the team developed inside the company.

Kevin Gaskell has a unique talent for engaging audiences, and for inspiring them to take action. His experiences of driving turnarounds, achieving 500% profit growth and transforming local companies into global players were acquired within the corporate environment.

His entrepreneurial experience of founding businesses, acquiring under-performing companies and transforming them into market leaders has allowed him to develop a complementary set of skills and knowledge that can be passed on to any business in any industry.

Keynote Speeches and Master Classes
Kevin Gaskell’s speaking style is lively, energetic and involving, with a gentle layer of self-deprecating humour. He shares with the audience the methods and techniques that drive success. Using his personal achievements and translating those into a business action plan gives listeners the answer to the question ‘What should I do on Monday morning?’

Presentations and master classes are individually designed to meet the specific requirements of clients.

Typical topics include:
▪ Building a world class company
▪ Leading teams to extraordinary performance
▪ Practical leadership in a challenging market
▪ Creativity in the face of digital chaos
▪ Building a world class brand
▪ Extreme leadership for high performance teams
▪ Inspiring and reenergising your organisation

Presentation Structure
The above topics can be presented as a keynote speech, a practical master class, or as a combination of both.

Content is highly topical and pragmatic and based on 25 years’ experience of managing significant companies and achieving extraordinary results. Using an involving style, real examples, humour and practical advice are combined to share with the audience how they can apply the tools and techniques to their own business. The emphasis is on the real world need for the audience to understand ‘How to really make a difference from Monday’.

Clients
Major companies recognise that an external speaker can stimulate new thought and inspire new actions. Kevin has worked globally as a keynote speaker and change catalyst for such companies as: Accenture, AIB, BNP Paribas, Close Brothers, Countrywide, Delphi, EADS, Ernst + Young, Gartner, Google, Kelloggs, Liberty Global, Marine Harvest, MDRT, Michael Page, Nedbank, Nestle, Old Mutual, Oracle, PEP store, Procter & Gamble, Prudential, PWC, Rio Tinto, TBWA, Virgin, Volkswagen, White & Case.

Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Kevin Gaskell. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.