Michael Welch, a 47‑year‑old, started as a tyre fitter at 15 and launched his first business at 17 with a £500 grant from The Prince’s Trust. After being made redundant at 16, he used a Jobcentre poster to secure mentorship and built Motorforce from his parents’ house.

In 2002 he founded Blackcircles.com, which he sold to Michelin in 2015 for £50mn, earning an OBE for services to business and charity. He then invested in automotive, technology and consumer ventures, and in May 2026 launched Rolo Tires, a premium tyre brand operating from Miami and Edinburgh.

He credits mentors such as Hugh Mc Lennan, Sir Tom Farmer and Sir Terry Leahy for guidance that secured suppliers and growth. The pandemic let his early US venture Tirescanner thrive with a mobile tyre service. In 2016 he lost £2mn investing in an online fashion boutique, a lesson that kept him from unfamiliar sectors.

Now based in Miami with his wife Victoria and three children, he splits time between US, southern France and his headquarters in Edinburgh and Liverpool, supporting adoption and fostering via The Welch Trust. He remains driven to show what he was made of and continues building, investing and mentoring in tyre and broader business world.