Pierre-Yves Gerbeau

PY Gerbeau is a serial entrepreneur. After accomplishing nine successful turnarounds he is now CEO of X-Leisure, the largest leisure group in the UK with sites including the regenerated colliery at Castleford, Brighton Marina and Braehead Glasgow. PY also serves as Professor of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Rescue at London Business School and Imperial College.

Having honed his skills as Vice President, Operations at Disneyland Paris, PY famously became Chief Executive of the Dome in February 2000. He achieved a great deal with the much maligned government-built attraction, generating over six million visitors. Such is his energy that on a rare day off he won the Pro-Am in the Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews.

In presentations PY explains how recession requires every tier of management to be agile, accountable and better at balancing risk. Decisions must be firm and consistent - not based on a popularity contest. And at a time when established brands can be destroyed in an instant, managers must ensure the values are understood and upheld by everyone. Above all, they should lead by example.

Outside the boardroom PY is scratch golfer and a former Captain of the French Olympic Ice Hockey team. He has been voted Personality of the Year by his leisure industry peers, holds an MBA from one of France's leading business schools and frequently appears as a guest on The Bottom Line with Evan Davis.

JLA Client Comments

"The most motivational corporate speech we have ever heard" Liberata UK

"PY communicated very strong business messages and went down exceptionally well." Catering Equipment Distributors Associates

"An enthusiastic and insightful lecture. Absolutely everyone was positive and appreciative." Arena

"PY lifted everyone's spirits with a delicate balance of humour and serious content." Institute of Chartered Accountants