Entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe OBE created YO! Sushi and YOTEL, helping to redefine restaurant and hotel experiences with bold, disruptive ideas. A former Dragons’ Den investor, he shares candid lessons on innovation, resilience and building standout brands in fast-changing markets.... Read more
From My Prison Cell to £100M Sushi Empire: Simon Woodroffe
The time is now: Simon Woodroffe on risk, rejection and building YO! Sushi!
How Simon Woodroffe Built Yo! Sushi and Changed UK Dining Forever
Drawing on decades of building and developing disruptive businesses, Simon explores what it takes to identify opportunities, challenge established markets and succeed in a changing world.
The story behind YO! Sushi and Simon’s unconventional entrepreneurial journey. He shares the successes, setbacks and decisions that turned an original idea into an internationally recognised brand.
Simon explores the mindset behind achievement, from taking responsibility and stepping outside your comfort zone to developing the resilience and commitment needed to turn ambition into action.
Simon challenges conventional ideas about entrepreneurship, showing how entrepreneurial thinking can help people identify opportunities, embrace uncertainty and create change, whether they are building a company or working within one.
A keynote about the value of originality, bold thinking and refusing to simply follow convention. Simon draws on his own experience of creating businesses that challenged expectations and stood apart from their competitors.
Simon Woodroffe OBE is the entrepreneur behind YO! Sushi and YOTEL, an original investor on the first series of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, and author of the autobiography YO! MAN. Known for his unconventional approach to business, Simon Woodroffe has built a career on challenging established industries and turning everyday experiences into something entirely different.
Leaving school at 16, Simon Woodroffe began his career in the entertainment industry, spending three decades producing and staging concerts for artists including The Moody Blues, Madness, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and George Michael. He later developed international television deals for major live events, including concerts for Nelson Mandela and Amnesty International.
In 1997, Simon Woodroffe founded YO! Sushi, introducing conveyor-belt dining, call buttons, robot drinks trolleys and Japanese television to the UK restaurant market. The first restaurant opened in London’s Soho and quickly became a phenomenon, growing into one of Britain’s most recognisable restaurant brands. The wider YO! business was sold to Japanese food group Zensho in 2023 in a deal valued at £494 million.
Building on the success of YO! Sushi, Simon Woodroffe went on to create YOTEL, bringing the same disruptive thinking to hospitality with a new approach to compact, technology-led hotels. Today, YOTEL operates internationally, with thousands of rooms across its global network.
Simon Woodroffe’s entrepreneurial career has also taken him onto television and into the media. He was one of the original investors on the first series of BBC’s Dragons’ Den and has appeared widely across television, radio, podcasts and the press. His autobiography YO! MAN reflects on the unconventional path that took him from leaving school at 16 to creating internationally recognised businesses.
Simon Woodroffe was named Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999 and was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry.
As a keynote speaker, Simon Woodroffe avoids business jargon and formulaic advice. Instead, he draws openly on his own successes, failures and changing fortunes to explore entrepreneurship, innovation, resilience and what it takes to create something original. His presentations combine practical lessons with candid storytelling and are tailored to each audience and brief.
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You can book Simon Woodroffe OBE through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Simon's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Simon Woodroffe OBE's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Simon tailored to your event.
Simon Woodroffe OBE speaks on Business & Management, Change, Digital Trends, Entrepreneurs, Leadership & Motivation. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Simon to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Simon Woodroffe OBE for events worldwide, subject to Simon's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Simon Woodroffe OBE is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Simon can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Simon Woodroffe OBE on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Simon can offer.
Simon Woodroffe OBE delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Simon Woodroffe OBE's areas of expertise include Business & Management, Change, Digital Trends, Entrepreneurs, Leadership & Motivation. To get a clear sense of Simon's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Simon Woodroffe OBE can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Business & Management, Change, Digital Trends, Entrepreneurs, Leadership & Motivation is relevant. Details of Simon's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Simon Woodroffe OBE is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Simon Woodroffe OBE, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Simon's current availability for your dates.