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Wally Olins

Chairman and co-founder of Saffron Brand Consultants

Wally Olins is 'the world's leading practitioner of branding and identity', according to the Financial Times. Formerly Chairman of Wolff Olins and currently Chairman and co-founder of Saffron Brand Consultants. He has advised many of the world's leading commercial companies, including 3i, Renault, Repsol, BT, Volkswagen, Tata and Lloyd's of London and has also worked with many countries, regions and cities, among them Portugal and Poland. He has worked in the public sector with Scotland Yard, London's Metropolitan Police, the National Housing Federation and many other bodies. Olins has also acted as an advisor to both McKinsey and Bain.

He was born in London and educated at Oxford where he read history. Early in his career he became head of what is now the Ogilvy advertising agency in India, where he lived for 5 years. He has an enduring interest in South Asia.

Olins is the author of several very successful books including the seminal work Corporate Identity, published in 20 languages, and Wally Olins On B®and and The Brand Handbook. He is currently working on a new book about where branding is going. His approach is sociological and anthropological as well as commercial.

He has had Fellowships and Professorships at a number of leading Business Schools and Universities, including Said Business School at Oxford University, Lancaster University and Copenhagen Business School. A witty and fluent writer and speaker, he is in great demand to run seminars on branding issues around the world.

The multi-award-winning Wally Olins was made CBE in 1999 and received the Lifetime Award from the Reputation Institute for his contribution to the industry. He was awarded the Bicentenary Medal of the RSA in 2000 and the D&AD President's Award in 2003. He was also nominated for the Prince Philip Designer's Prize.