Unlike most speakers, the story that Nick shares during his dinner speeches will leave your head spinning. Nick was a former derivatives broker whose illegal trading caused the collapse of one of the United Kingdom’s oldest banks – the Barings Bank. For his actions, he was sentenced to serve a hefty service in prison; his speeches will explain the risks that come with living in the grey area of business.
The interesting story that Nick has to tell? He hid millions of pounds in debt using a hidden account, allowing him to hide mistakes in his trading. Gambling larger amounts of money, and disclosing only the profit, thus securing larger amounts of money from the Barings Bank, which gradually ran into liquidity problems. Eventually, it all caught up with Nick and the market collapsed around him.
While his past might seem slightly questionable, anyone who has ever lived can teach a lesson from their experiences. In Nick’s case? He has become an active part of the financial community, both as a keynote speaker and an after-dinner speaker. Having made mistakes in the past, he is in the perfect position to advise on the ethics of doing business, and corporate responsibility.
Not many financial speakers can say they have had a film made based on them, but Nick Leeson can. A film called Rogue Trader was released in 1999, based on a book that Nick wrote. Using the public’s curiosity Leeson was able to raise knowledge of the hazardous state of the banking system.
As a motivational speaker, there is one thing that Nick excels at. His core beliefs are that anyone can have redemption. During speeches, he will often encourage people to be aware of their failings, and how to spot someone not being entirely honest. A truly incredible insight into corporate responsibility and the ethics of doing business, you won’t find many speakers like Nick.
Nick was also able to overcome adversity, through the multi-million dollar bill he was served after leaving prison to cancer that plagued his life during prison. You will find his work as a speaker inspiring.
