Mike Soutar is a Scottish entrepreneur, media executive, author and business adviser whose career has moved from magazine journalism to company building, boardrooms and prime-time television. Born in Dundee, he began working in journalism with DC Thomson as a teenager before establishing himself in British publishing. For many viewers, however, Soutar is best recognized as one of the formidable interviewers who scrutinize the final candidates on BBC One’s The Apprentice. He has been involved with the program since 2011, bringing his experience as an editor, chief executive and entrepreneur into interviews where candidates’ business plans and claims are tested. His television profile is only one part of a much longer media career that has included senior positions connected with Smash Hits, FHM, Kiss FM and major publishing businesses.
Soutar’s professional story is particularly notable because he has worked on both the editorial and commercial sides of media. Early in his career, he rose rapidly through magazine publishing, becoming editor of Smash Hits while still in his twenties and later taking leadership roles at FHM. He also worked in the United States with Maxim, served as managing director of Kiss FM and held a board-level position at IPC Media. His most important entrepreneurial move came with the co-founding of Shortlist Media, which launched the free weekly magazine ShortList and later Stylist. The company expanded across print, digital, and events, showing how high-quality editorial products could be supported through free distribution and advertising. Soutar served as chief executive and helped grow the operation from a small start-up into a substantial media business before its eventual sale. He later became chief executive of the Evening Standard, adding another major London media organization to his executive career.
In recent years, Mike Soutar has increasingly focused on leadership, governance and advising growing businesses. He is an independent non-executive director of Scottish Rugby, having joined its board in 2023, and he serves as a trustee of V&A Dundee. In 2025, he joined the UK Government’s Board of Trade as an adviser supporting British businesses and international growth. His first leadership book, Next Gen CEO, was published by Pan Macmillan in June 2026 and draws on his experience of building companies, managing teams and assessing entrepreneurs. Another major development followed on 1 October 2026, when Abertay University announced that Soutar would become its next Chancellor, returning him to a prominent role connected with his home city of Dundee. Together, these positions show why Soutar is seen not simply as a television personality, but as a businessman whose career spans publishing, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership and public service.
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