Martin McCourt
Martin McCourt is a former CEO of Dyson who speaks to business and leadership audiences about international growth, brand expansion, and scaling consumer businesses.
- Former CEO of Dyson, where he served for 15 years.
- Led Dyson during a period of major international expansion into more than 60 markets.
- More than 40 years of experience across manufacturing, design, sales and marketing.
- Career roles associated with Dyson, Mars, Duracell, Toshiba and Pelikan.
- Chairman of COMPO and Non-Executive Director at Tharsus.
- Visiting Professor at Aston University.
Full Profile
Key speaking topics
- International business expansion
- Scaling consumer brands globally
- Leadership in manufacturing and product-led companies
- Innovation and product-driven growth
- Building international market presence
- Strategy for consumer technology businesses
- Global brand development
Ideal for
- Senior leaders in manufacturing and consumer product companies
- Corporate audiences focused on international growth
- Leadership teams in product-led organisations
- Business schools and executive education audiences
Audience outcomes
- Insight into scaling a consumer brand internationally
- Lessons from leading a global manufacturing business
- Practical perspectives on expanding into international markets
- Understanding of leadership challenges in product-led companies
- Strategic context for global brand development
Why organisations work with Martin McCourt
- Direct experience leading an international consumer technology company through global expansion.
- Practical insights from more than four decades in manufacturing, design, sales and marketing.
- Board-level perspective across multiple international businesses.
- Relevant experience for organisations focused on international growth, innovation and market expansion.
Biography
Martin McCourt is the former CEO of Dyson, where he led the business for 15 years and oversaw a period of substantial international expansion. During his leadership the company developed from a single-product, single-market operation into an international consumer brand operating across more than 60 markets.
His career spans more than four decades across manufacturing, design, sales and marketing. In addition to Dyson, his professional experience includes roles associated with Mars, Duracell, Toshiba and Pelikan, giving him broad insight into product-led organisations and the commercial dynamics of global consumer businesses.
Alongside his executive career, Martin has held a range of board and advisory roles across international companies. He is Chairman of COMPO and a Non-Executive Director at Tharsus, and has also been associated with businesses including Weber, Pure Electric, FreeFlow Technologies, Lightfoot and Learning Curve Group.
He also contributes to leadership and business education as a visiting professor at Aston University. His career achievements have been recognised by multiple public profiles, which state that he was named UK Business Leader of the Year.
Talks
This talk explores how organisations create environments where ideas can emerge and develop. It examines the role of leadership in bringing together the right people, encouraging independent thinking and liberating creative instincts, while also identifying behaviours and systems that unintentionally suppress innovation.
Key takeaways:
- How to bring together the right people and encourage instinctive thinking
- Approaches that help unlock idea generation within teams
- Organisational behaviours and processes that can unintentionally stifle creativity
An examination of how emerging companies gain advantage by engaging younger consumers through platform communication and social media. The talk explores the importance of adapting to changing consumer values and expectations while encouraging organisations to think differently about market engagement.
Key takeaways:
- How disruptors use platform communication and social media to reach millennial audiences
- Why organisations must respond to shifting consumer attitudes and values
- The importance of unconventional thinking in competitive markets
This talk explores Dyson’s product development approach, combining long-established engineering principles with modern tools. It highlights how practical experimentation, including simple physical modelling, can work alongside advanced digital technologies to support innovation.
Key takeaways:
- The role of iterative experimentation in product development
- How simple physical modelling can support engineering innovation
- The value of combining traditional techniques with advanced digital tools
A reflection on business growth, disruption and the realities of competitive markets. The session explores the importance of resilience, maintaining perspective during periods of change, and recognising opportunities created by competitors’ missteps.
Key takeaways:
- The realities of deliberate disruption and business growth
- How adversity can be turned into opportunity
- Recognising competitive advantages created by market dynamics
This talk examines the decision to transfer manufacturing from the UK to Southeast Asia and the organisational challenges that followed. It highlights the role technology played in enabling the transition and explores the leadership decisions required when facing widespread criticism.
Key takeaways:
- Lessons from relocating manufacturing operations internationally
- The role of technology in supporting major operational transitions
- Leadership considerations when making difficult strategic decisions
An exploration of the role invention and entrepreneurship play in economic growth. The talk considers how innovation-led businesses contribute to national competitiveness and the broader economy.
Key takeaways:
- The role of invention in driving economic development
- How entrepreneurial thinking supports innovation-led growth
- The broader economic value created by product innovation
This session explores product testing approaches that combine human stress testing with advanced engineering data systems. It highlights how rigorous testing processes support product reliability and performance.
Key takeaways:
- The role of human stress testing in product development
- How engineering data systems support testing processes
- The importance of rigorous testing in product performance
A series of real incidents that demonstrate how unexpected events and competitor behaviour contributed to Dyson’s rapid rise in the US market. The talk illustrates how market dynamics can accelerate growth.
Key takeaways:
- How competitive dynamics can influence market success
- Lessons from real incidents during Dyson’s US market expansion
- The role of external factors in shaping competitive advantage
This talk examines the contrasting outcomes of Dyson product launches, including the commercial failure of the Dyson washing machine alongside successful innovations such as Airblade, Air Multiplier and vacuum cleaners. It focuses on how organisations respond when products do not succeed.
Key takeaways:
- Lessons from unsuccessful product launches
- How organisations respond to commercial setbacks
- The role of resilience in innovation-led businesses
An exploration of how organisations scale while preserving identity and entrepreneurial spirit. The talk reflects on the advantages of remaining agile and maintaining a challenger mindset as businesses grow.
Key takeaways:
- How organisations retain identity during periods of growth
- The strategic advantages of maintaining a challenger mindset
- Approaches to scaling without losing organisational character