Brian Birley was born in Bristol, England, in 1945. His early years were spent in Dibden Purlieu, before he moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with his family just before his seventh birthday. Brian grew up there and was educated at Falcon College and then Pietermaritzburg University in South Africa.

Brian began his career in 1969 with Metal Box Central Africa, a multinational packaging products manufacturing group, as a management trainee. By 1980 he was transferred to Metal Box Thailand as managing director. After working in Bangkok for four years, he immigrated to Australia with his family and joined Gadsden Packaging as a strategic planning manager. Late in 1986, Gadsden was taken over by another company and Brian resigned. He established P.A.C.E. Corporation Pty Ltd, specialising in export development and providing management services to the packaging industry.

A complete change of direction saw Brian fulfil senior management roles in the information technology and automotive industries. However, in late 1997, Brian re-established P.A.C.E. Corporation Pty Ltd as a consulting practice specialising in strategic planning and human capital management. Brian has applied his extensive international experience to developing his own intellectual property in the form of the One Page Business Plan (1PBP).

He is the author of three books, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, an accredited speaker with the National Speakers Association of Australia, a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultants and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Brian is married and has two daughters in their twenties. When he is not assisting other companies, you will find him on his boat on the Gippsland Lakes where he and his wife, Marianne, enjoy extended weekends on a regular basis.