Kevin Byrne

Kevin Byrne is Managing Director of Checkatrade.com, which vets and monitors trades companies and services to help people avoid cowboy builders and rogue traders.

He is a leading entrepreneur and businessman in the South East, who built his Selsey-based company up from scratch to a turnover in excess of £5.5m. With close to 100 employees, Checkatrade has a membership base of 7,800 across a wide spectrum of trades. Kevin won ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the prestigious 2011 Sussex Business Awards and has become a community figurehead thanks to his inspirational business leadership and charity work.

Kevin Byrne has worn many hats. From graphic designer, preacher and local carpet cleaner, Kevin’s life-changing moment came in 1998 when a tornado swept through his sleepy West Sussex hometown of Selsey causing £10m of destruction. Witnessing with horror the invasion of ‘rogue traders’, who descended on the vulnerable from the length and breadth of the country and, seeing the dearth of available help, Kevin set up Checkatrade.

Kevin is the authoritative voice on honest, reputable trading and is active in the media, recently commenting in the entrepreneur pages of The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph and on Moneymaker.com. Kevin has also featured in radio interviews by the BBC and other independent stations.

Kevin is a confident, stimulating public speaker who motivates audiences and captivates the imagination of young people. He has undertaken many speeches and lectures on how to start and run a successful business both in the UK and abroad.