Hilary Devey

Entrepreneur Hilary Devey is best known for making her fortune as the founder of Pall-Ex of which she is now CEO and chair. Hilary has featured in numerous television shows, best known for the time that she spent as an investor 'Dragon' on Dragons' Den. Her other television appearances include Secret Millionaire, as the host of The Intern, Running the Shop and as the presenter of The Business Inspector. Hilary has also made appearances on Loose Women, a programme on which she has become a regular panellist. 

Hilary, an ambassador of the British Citizen Awards, has also won numerous awards in recognition for her contribution to transport and charity. She was awarded the Vitalise Woman of the Year Award 2008 and a year later she received the Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. She was appointed CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours and has received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Leicester, the University of Bolton and the University of Wolverhampton.

Outside of her business ventures, Hilary has overcome great struggle, having suffered a stroke in 2009 after having an abdominoplasty operation. She has also helped her son overcome seven-years of drug addiction, and endured the trauma of finding out that both her father and her ex-partner were both married to other women with children. Such adversity has motivated Hilary to succeed against the odds, and she is now dedicating her time to being a Vice President for the Carers Trust and a Patron of The Stroke Association. 

Today, Hilary is frequently booked as a speaker for corporate events. Having founded a highly successful business, Hilary is an inspirational figure for other businessmen and women. As a speaker, Hilary is sought to discuss topics such as women in business, climbing the corporate ladder, management, investing in start-ups and life lessons in business. Her previous clients include the likes of The Business Show and The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners, with all clients commending her speeches for their excellence. A versatile speaker, Hilary Devey is the perfect choice for a range of corporate events. 

"Hilary captivated our audience of 300 and had a standing ovation - a rare sight. Unreservedly recommended." - Jonathan Jay, Chairman, The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners

"Hilary Devey went down an absolute storm at this year’s Business Show! She was the final speaker on the last day of the show and hundreds of people remained to watch her. She was interviewed on stage and delivered a thought provoking seminar full of hilarious anecdotes about her life and her business. With the crowd in the palm of her hand, she eloquently relayed the successes and failures from her life in a way that both captivated and inspired the audience. I approached Hilary’s team knowing that she was a popular figure with a very large fan base, but I never imagined it to be so well received. Even when a herd of people were trying to get Hilary’s autograph and picture at the end of the interview, she handled it fantastically and had a great deal of time for her fans, offering kind words of support and the opportunity to contact her after the show with their queries. It also must be said that Hilary and her team were an absolute delight to work with from start to finish and we’d be delighted to invite her to speak at any of our events in future.”- Hassan Allan, Event Director, The Business Show

"Hilary Devey recently spoke for us at a conference for 120 owner/managers of small and medium sized B2B supplies companies. The audience were enthralled by her presentation in which she highlighted her personal journey from childhood, through the trials and tribulations of starting and building a business, to her position today as a highly successful entrepreneur and TV personality. The audience felt Hilary was one of their own, and were inspired to believe that they too had the opportunity to achieve what she has. It was a tribute to her empathy and natural, witty approach.”- David, The Sporting Dining Club

"We had great feedback from Hilary’s talk; everyone enjoyed hearing her inspirational story.”- Lorraine Miller, Institute of Anti-Ageing

"I am writing to thank you so much for being the key note speaker at our 25th Big Birthday Message conference. The talk was simply inspirational and magnificent; you connected with every person in the room. I am so grateful to you for giving up your time for Llamau and please accept my sincere thanks for making our 25th Birthday Message the resounding success it was.”- Chief Executive, Llamau