Having arrived in Britain as a five-year-old refugee fleeing the Nazis on the Kindertransport, Dame Stephanie Shirley went on to build one of Britain's most successful software companies. Using the pen name ‘Steve’ to be taken more seriously by clients, she built a business valued at $3 billion, turning 70 staff members into millionaires along the way. But her impact goes far beyond the business world. Dame Stephanie has dedicated the last three decades of her life to philanthropy, giving away most of her personal wealth. Once the 11th richest woman in the UK, she’s the only person to drop off the Sunday Times Rich List due to generosity. 

Inspired by her late son, Giles, who was profoundly autistic, Dame Stephanie has helped transform care for those with autism along with supporting a range of other causes. In this episode she shares stories from her childhood, her career and her personal life – all of them packed with invaluable lessons. A former podcast guest of ours, Baroness Martha Lane Fox, wrote the foreword to Dame Stephanie’s brilliant memoir, Let it Go; and described her as “ ... a role model for how to build your life, not just your company.” She wasn’t wrong.    

Links 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damestephanie_/?hl=en

Website: https://www.steveshirley.com/

Book 

Let It Go (2019): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-Go-Extraordinary-Entrepreneur-Philanthropist/dp/0241395496

Charities

Autistica: https://www.autistica.org.uk/

Autism at Kingwood: https://www.kingwood.org.uk/

Prior’s Court: https://www.priorscourt.org.uk/

The Oxford Internet Institute: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/

The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists: https://wcit.org.uk/ 

Stream/buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm

Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk

Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682

This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners

Host – Andy Coulson   

CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering, Linus Fielder, Linus Difford

With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      

For all PR and guest approaches please contact – [email protected]