Liam O'Leary, speaker and podcast guest
Speaking, panels and podcasts
Business Person of the Year, Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2026
I talk about what I know. 25 years at one digital agency. Growing a team from 10 to 30+. Two acquisitions. Adopting AI in a traditional business. And the occasional overlooked subject, like running a business with your wife and still enjoying Sunday lunch.
- Keynote
- Panel
- Podcast guest
- Roundtable
- Internal team or leadership session
Latest interview
Steel FM · The Business Show
On winning Business Person of the Year
Host John McHale talks to me on Steel FM's Business Show about winning Business Person of the Year at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2026, and the story of Laser Red along the way.
Topics
What I speak on
The long game: what 25 years at one agency teaches you
Why time in the seat matters, and what compounds when you stick with something.
Buying agencies the relationship-first way
Two acquisitions, no brokers. How to buy a business well, and what to look for if you're the one selling.
Growing an agency from 10 to 30+ people
What breaks as you grow, and the systems, reporting and habits we put in place to fix it.
Building a culture people want to stay in
Why your team stays or leaves, and what you can do about it without a tech-giant budget.
Running a business with your spouse
Kirsty and I have worked together for over ten years. What works, what doesn't, and how to stop work taking over the dinner table.
AI adoption in a traditional agency
We've rolled AI through every department at Laser Red. Some of it worked, some didn't. What we learned and what you can borrow.
Recent appearances
April 2026
AI Round Table, The Think Tank, Lincoln
Hosted a closed session for senior business leaders on AI adoption in traditional businesses.
Podcast
Business After Hours
I hosted Business After Hours, a podcast where I talked to business owners about what really goes on behind the scenes of running a company.
For organisers
Bios
Use whichever length fits your programme.
Liam O'Leary is Managing Director of Laser Red, a Lincolnshire digital agency founded in 1995. He's been there for 25 years and has acquired two agencies.
Liam O'Leary is Managing Director of Laser Red, a digital agency in Lincolnshire founded by his father in 1995. He joined at 14, became MD in 2016 and bought the business in 2019. Since then Laser Red has grown to 30+ people, acquired Spiral Media and POP Branding Agency, and won Employer of the Year at the Lincolnshire Marketing Awards 2026. Liam was named Business Person of the Year at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2026. He speaks on agency growth, acquisitions, AI adoption and leadership.
Liam O'Leary is Managing Director of Laser Red, a £2m digital agency with offices in Grimsby and Lincoln, working with 200+ clients across the UK and abroad. The business was founded by his father, Peter, in 1995. Liam joined at 14 and, entirely self-taught, worked through every part of the agency, from fixing PCs to design, development and digital marketing, before becoming MD in 2016. In 2019 he bought the business. Under his leadership Laser Red has grown from around 10 people to 30+, acquired Spiral Media (2018) and POP Branding Agency (2025), and won Employer of the Year at the Lincolnshire Marketing Awards 2026. Liam was named Business Person of the Year at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2026. He previously hosted the Business After Hours podcast and also advises and invests in other businesses, including Deploy.dev.
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