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Mike Soutar

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Mike Soutar
Soutar at SXSW London in June 2025
Born (1967-11-08) 8 November 1967 (age 58)
Dundee
OccupationEntrepreneur
Years active1984-present
TelevisionThe Apprentice
SpouseBev Hillier (1990s–present)

Mike Soutar (born 8 November 1967) is a Scottish entrepreneur. Born in Dundee, he edited issues of Jackie, Smash Hits, FHM, and Maxim before joining IPC Magazines and launching the magazines Nuts, Pick Me Up, TV easy, and Look. A bout of typhoid led him to set up his own businesses including Shortlist Media Limited, through which he has appeared on the British version of The Apprentice since its 2011 series. He has also spent time in charge of Emap Radio and The Evening Standard and has sat on the boards of Scottish Rugby Union, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the UK government's Board of Trade, and V&A Dundee.

Life and career

[edit]

Soutar was born in Dundee on 8 November 1967[1] and attended Glenrothes High School in Fife between 1978 and 1984, having previously attended South Parks Primary School. He initially wanted to be a PE teacher, but lost interest after a course put him off.[2] He launched his journalism career aged 17 after being hired to write beauty tips for Secrets, a romantic fiction magazine owned by DC Thomson,[3] before becoming the editor for Jackie and appearing in some of its comic strips.[4] He then moved to London in 1987[5] to work for Virgin Records[4] before becoming editor of Smash Hits aged 23.[3] From 1994, he spent three years as the editor of FHM before becoming the managing director of Kiss[5] and spending a brief period in charge of Emap Radio.[6] He then joined an unsuccessful Chris Evans-led consortium in March 1999 that would have bought the Daily Star and made him editor, though a deal collapsed last minute.[7][8]

In April 1999, he moved to America to become Maxim's editor-in-chief.[7] He lasted about a year in this post before returning to Britain to join IPC Magazines,[9][5] where he spent two and a half years in charge of IPC Ignite before being made editorial director for the group.[10] At the latter, he launched the magazines Nuts, Pick Me Up, TV easy, and Look.[11] In early 2006, Soutar spent several months in hospital after salmonella from a chicken caesar wrap gave him typhoid. While recovering, he decided he wanted to work for himself,[3] and left IPC shortly afterwards, spending six months on gardening leave due to the terms of his contract.[12]

Soutar set up Crash Test Media in late 2006,[13] a consultancy firm for launching media titles,[3] before launching Shortlist Media Limited and the magazine ShortList in 2007[3][14] and the magazine Stylist in October 2009.[11] Designers for Shortlist Media helped create magazines at the instruction of candidates on the 2011 series of The Apprentice,[15] shortly after which presenter Alan Sugar approached Soutar offering a job interviewing candidates for the series.[3] Soutar became known for his forensic investigations of candidates' business plans and CVs on the programme;[4] by April 2024, he had bought several URLs that candidates had claimed to own, debunked several candidates' false claims, ordered from several candidates' existing services, and produced batches of drinks using candidates' proposed recipes.[16][2] Clips from his interrogations subsequently became popular on TikTok.[4] Soutar also covered for Tim Campbell as an adviser for one episode in the 2022 series[17] and for two Christmas episodes in 2025.[18]

Soutar sold halves of Shortlist in 2013 and 2015 to DC Thomson, who had previously backed the firm.[3] In 2016, he went part-time there[19] and joined the board of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.[20] Soutar left the former in late 2018, around the time its print version was discontinued,[19] and left the latter in October 2019 to become The Evening Standard's first chief executive officer,[20] which he left in late May[21] after the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom made him decide he wanted a portfolio career. In April 2025, he held board positions at Scottish Rugby Union, V&A Dundee, and the UK government's Board of Trade and was living in Epping Forest with his wife of nearly thirty years, former Just Seventeen editor Bev Hillier.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The A List: Part 13 of 15". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  2. ^ a b Clark, Alasdair (2025-04-08). "Mike Soutar: 11 interesting facts about Dundee businessman starring on The Apprentice". The Courier. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g McLaren, Rob (2019-04-03). "Magazine entrepreneur Mike Soutar to speak at Gleneagles". The Courier. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Dundee-born The Apprentice interviewer says sloppy candidates make him 'indignant'". The Courier. 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  5. ^ a b c Robinson, James (2004-10-09). "Bloke with the bottle for lads' battle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  6. ^ "MEDIA: Soutar selected for top creative Emap Radio role". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  7. ^ a b "Away the lads". The Guardian. 1999-04-12. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  8. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (2007-07-18). "Mike Soutar". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  9. ^ Soutar, Mike (2000-05-01). "Hello boys!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  10. ^ Gazette, Press (2006-06-07). "Boss who launched Nuts and Pick Me Up leaves IPC". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  11. ^ a b "Mike Soutar - interview". InPublishing. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  12. ^ "Soutar quits IPC Media after six years". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  13. ^ Gazette, Press (2006-09-24). "Soutar: 'Let me crash test your dummies'". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  14. ^ "58. Mike Soutar". The Guardian. 2011-07-24. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  15. ^ "Primetime for medialand as The Apprentice takes on magazines". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  16. ^ MacDonald, Ben (2024-04-12). "Mike Soutar: 10 of the best Apprentice moments starring Dundee entrepreneur". The Courier. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  17. ^ Morris, Lauren. "Tim Campbell replaced as Lord Sugar's aide on this week's Apprentice | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  18. ^ Cormack, Morgan. "The Celebrity Apprentice confirmed to return at Christmas – but one major figure is missing | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  19. ^ a b "ShortList axes print edition - Prolific North". 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  20. ^ a b Tobitt, Charlotte (2019-10-01). "Evening Standard appoints Shortlist co-founder as its first chief executive". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  21. ^ Mayhew, Freddy (2020-04-28). "Evening Standard chief executive Mike Soutar steps down during pandemic after six months in role". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2025-11-19.