High-performance speakers bring a unique blend of expertise, motivational strategies, and dynamic delivery to captivate your audience and memorably convey key messages. They can spark innovation, reinforce company goals, and provide actionable insights tailored to your industry. Sharing powerful stories and proven strategies empowers employees to embrace change, boost productivity, and foster a positive organisational culture. Investing in a skilled speaker transforms your event into a catalyst for growth and success.
Hiring a high-performance speaker through us at Great Business Speakers can elevate your event by delivering transformative insights and actionable strategies that drive excellence in individual and organisational performance. Our speakers are experts in unlocking potential, fostering resilience, and inspiring innovation, offering audiences practical tools to achieve sustained success. Whether in-person or virtual, a high-performance speaker energises the room and leaves a lasting impact, empowering attendees to exceed their limits and contribute to a culture of success.
Discover our High-Performance Speakers below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
Tim Bradshaw is a former British Army Intelligence Officer and graduate of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. His work as a Covert Human Intelligence Officer and Target Acquisition Patrol Soldier saw him recruit and run foreign agents worldwide, and influence the outcome of extremely sensitive and dangerous situations.
Tim’s knowledge and experience of understanding and dealing with pressure and change, effective decision making and building resilience, forms the basis of the work he carries out with clients and audiences worldwide. Recent clients include Mercedes-Benz, Deloitte, Knight Frank, Clyde & Co, St James’s Place and Jaguar Land Rover.
Steven Bartlett is an entrepreneur, investor and multiple bestselling author who launched his first business from his bedroom and was a millionaire by the age of 23.
Steven’s journey to success is somewhat unconventional, being expelled from secondary school and dropping out of university after just one lecture.
In 2014 Steven co-founded Social Chain a social media marketing company with Dominic McGregor. After five years the company was publicly listed at $186million and in 2020 reached a market valuation of more than $600million.
Steven Bartlett is perhaps most well known for his part on the BBC investment programme Dragons’ Den, which he joined in 2022 as the show’s youngest ever Dragon, aged just 28.
Stefaan van Hooydonk is the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute, a service that helps individuals and organisations foster a curiosity mindset. He consults businesses and leadership teams worldwide – including in Saudi Arabia, India and China – to help improve their curiosity with the aim of helping their development.
His impressive education record – a Masters in Economics and Chinese and Postgraduates in Marxist Economics, Cross-Cultural Management and an MBA in Business – means his knowledge is often in demand at large-scale industry events.
Stef Sword-Williams is a TEDx speaker, author and founder of F*ck Being Humble – an empowering movement and consultancy dedicated to inspiring individuals to embrace their achievements unapologetically and conquer the fear of self-promotion.
Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Europe, Stef’s impactful talks have reached audiences in over 50 countries and have been sought after by global brands including Apple, Unilever, Google, Nike, Adidas, Microsoft, and the BBC.
Stef’s TEDx Talk on why the world needs to shed its humility has further solidified her position as a thought leader in self-empowerment and personal branding.
Named among the Top 50 Workplace Leaders in the UK, Stef Sword-Williams has cultivated a loyal online following of over 170,000. Stef’s work has been featured in Vogue, BBC World News, the Financial Times, and Forbes.
Performance coach Martin Robert Hall is an in-demand consultant to top athletes, ambitious individuals and leaders, and up-and-coming and established organisations, where he helps them to become the best they can be and to be able to perform consistently at a high level.
With his work praised by football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, he was awarded Business Coach of the Year in 2018 at the International Coaching Awards.
Offering consultancy, coaching, courses and workshops, Martin is also a popular keynote speaker, working for the likes of Zurich Insurance, Vitality Health, Hilton, Weetabix, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United.
Mark Soden is a former professional rugby player who uses his experiences to coach others on improving their performance, specialising in leadership, team and individual development.
His days playing rugby led to a deep interest in what makes teams and leaders shine, excel and develop and following his sporting career he applied this understanding in military organisations, other high-risk industries such as energy, shipping and construction, in the world of professional sport and in the corporate environment.
Since his sporting days, Mark Soden has worked with many teams and leaders, learning a lot about what motivates people and realising what inspires him. Mark now helps people have the difficult conversations, come to an uncomfortable but important place, to take the brave action needed to move forward and grow, be better and greater.
It was his dream to surround himself with a committed, caring and dynamic team who shared his love of helping others grow and be better. In 2015 he formed Cleartrack, an agency providing leadership, coaching and human factors programmes.
Mark Millar is a leading expert on global supply chains, an author, visiting lecturer and speaker who draws on over 30 years of global business experience.
Mark is a sought-after speaker delivering knowledge that empowers business professionals to think differently about tomorrow’s biggest supply chain challenges.
Focussing on crafting presentations that inform and inspire, Mark has the ability to communicate complex information backed up by diligent research and analysis . Without vested interests, Mark provides independent perspectives that organisations can trust.
Among his clients list includes DHL, L’oreal, BT, HSBC, Oracle and Citi. Known for his memorable stage presence, Mark creates the perfect combination of education and entertainment leaving a lasting impression on his audiences.
“A game-changing speaker everyone will remember forever” – Pierre-Olivier Landry, Head of HR, Ceva Logistics
Mark Denton is a keynote speaker on ‘Collective Performance’ – how leaders earn belief and teams align and execute as one. He speaks at the intersection of leadership, teams, and change, where collective performance is either strengthened or fractured under pressure.
A podium-winning round-the-world skipper, Mark led 17 amateur sailors – 70% complete novices – across 32,000 miles of extreme weather, conflict, and relentless challenges. He had zero command authority, could not hire, fire, or coerce anyone. Commitment had to be earned, and what emerged was a unified, high-performing crew that defied expectations and reached the podium.
The experience forged a powerful truth: Collective performance happens when leaders earn belief, ownership is shared and execution becomes collective.
“The only science I know is business management. That is the science I used in order to plan my world-run and deliver it, throughout. There is no secret. If you use the right methodology, if you are consistent and committed, there is no reason you will fail.”
Marie Leautey is a record-breaking runner who, in 2022, became the fastest woman to run around the world, running an incredible 698 marathons in just 825 days. But she hasn’t finished yet. In 2025 she aims to run across Africa, leaving Asia and Antarctica the only continents left.
Just one of seven people who have completed a run round the world, her journey epitomises the values of adaptability, commitment, integrity, passion, and resilience, and it is this combined with her corporate know-how that resonates with audiences.
She is also an experienced Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years’ experience in the corporate world, an author, and inspirational keynote speaker, and conference host.
Marga Hoek is that rare combination of a successful business leader who is also a visionary on sustainable business.
Her experience, knowledge and passion have seen her operating at the highest level, working with presidents and political ministers, and speaking at G20, G7, and Cop 23. She was also ranked by Thinkers 50 as one of the top 30 new management thinkers in the world.
Marc Priestley is the host of Discovery Channel’s Driving Wild; Gears, Grease and Glory and co-host of The F1 Report on Sky Sports F1 HD, presently he works as a technical pundit alongside another of our speakers and hosts Jennie Gow covering ITV4’s FIA Formula E series.
He began his petrolhead career in motor racing and was ultimately in the McLaren Racing f1 team as #1 mechanic and pit lane manager, working alongside driving legends such as Kimi Raikkönen, Jenson Button, Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.
Mandy Hickson stands as a beacon of determination and excellence in aviation, having carved a path where few women had ventured before. As the second female pilot to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line with the Royal Air Force (RAF), her journey is both inspiring and instructive for audiences across the UK.
She was awarded an RAF flying scholarship aged just 17 but initially failed the computer-based tests taken by all RAF pilots. Undeterred, her self-belief and determination persuaded the RAF to take her on a test case, thereby overcoming insurmountable hurdles.
Since hanging up her flying goggles in 2019, she now shares her experiences of working within an elite team with audiences of all sizes, including her online following of over 24,000. Her keynote speeches often cover risk taking, decision making under pressure, and the critical role of the human in the system.
In today’s high-pressure business world, companies can often struggle to maintain resilience, teamwork, and peak performance; they can struggle with decision-making in times of uncertainty, while teams can break down due to bad communication and distrust.
Mandy Hickson brings unmatched expertise from one of the most critical environments imaginable—the cockpit of a fast jet. Her insights are particularly valuable to corporate audiences, where parallels between the cockpit and the boardroom offer fresh perspectives on leadership and crisis management.
Aged 13, Tim Peake had a dream of becoming a pilot. This dream became a reality when he took control of an aircraft for the first time. By the time he was 18, he had already flown numerous solo sorties and been awarded a coveted position to join the British Army Air Corps.
Tim served as an army officer in Northern Ireland before gaining his Army Flying Wings in 1994. He trained as a combat search and rescue instructor, and flew operations to enforce the peace and provide humanitarian support in the aftermath of the Bosnian War.
Maggie Alphonsi is arguably one of the most popular and well-known faces of international women’s rugby and women’s team sports in general. Before announcing her international retirement in 2014, she represented her country an impressive 74 times, scored 29 tries, won a World Cup and helped England win a record-breaking seven consecutive Six Nations crowns.
Maggie Alphonsi is also a household name in the media, commentating on live rugby matches and featuring in a range of media outlets including Stella magazine and The Telegraph newspaper, as well as Children in Need, The Wright Stuff, Good Morning Britain, and A Question of Sport.
Establishing a reputation as a successful woman in a male-dominated sport is no easy feat, and combined with racial discrimination, gave Maggie the toughest of challenges to face. When booked as a speaker, her extensive anecdotes provide inspiration in the world of elite sports, leadership, pressure management and diversity.
Sir Clive Woodward is the World Cup winning Head Coach who led England’s rugby players to World Cup glory in Australia in 2003.
A former England International and British & Irish Lion himself, during Clive’s tenure as Head Coach England moved from 6th in the world to being the number one ranked team, winning every trophy an England team can win.
Sir Anthony McCoy OBE, commonly knowns as AP McCoy, is famed as the greatest jump jockey of all time and one of the world’s highest profile sporting personalities, winning almost every big race there is to win.
Recording 4,357 race wins during his career, Sir Anthony is remembered for his success in the 2010 Grand National, the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase & King George VI Chase. Sir Anthony dominated his sport for over two decades before retiring from riding in 2015.
All this while suffering 20 chipped teeth & facial injuries, Broken Cheekbones, Broken both shoulder blades, Broken Vertebrae, Broken Arm, Dislocated Thumb, Dislocated collarbone, Punctured Lungs (Twice), Broken Ribs (Twice), Broken Wrist, Broken Leg and Broken Ankle.
Following his retirement, Sir Anthony took to the radio as a pundit on BBC Radio 5 Live and as a co-presenter on Channel 4 but since 2017 has been part of the ITV racing team covering all big horse racing events.
Tech pioneer and endurance runner, Simon Wheatcroft, refuses to let blindness hold him back. Whether he is competing in ultra-marathons, climbing mountains or going about his day to day life, he combines the use of technology and his fundamental belief and trust in his own abilities and body to overcome what many would consider insurmountable barriers and achieve his goals.
Simon’s unique blend of ferocious drive, along with his background in technology and psychology, enables him to push the boundaries of possibility and challenge the audience to explore what they can achieve.
Simon Hazeldine is best-selling author, and a sales and negotiation expert.
A hard-hitting speaker who will give your people a wake-up call that they will never forget! Through his powerful speeches and seminars, Simon inspires and enables exceptional performance. His powerful, practical and proven strategies will drive and deliver improved bottom line results.
He is the bestselling author of five books that have been endorsed by a host of business leaders including multi-billionaire business legend Michael Dell. He has a Master’s Degree in Psychology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales & Marketing Management.
An Oxford-trained lawyer, Roz Savage spent the first eleven years of her career working as a management consultant, braving nothing more intrepid than rush hour on the London Underground before an environmental epiphany led to a radical personal transformation into a world-class adventurer.
During the seven years of her ocean rowing career, Roz Savage had more chance than most to explore the far horizons of courage. Spending up to five months alone at sea on a 23-foot rowboat, thousands of miles from land and humanity, at the mercy of winds, waves and currents, she evolved from a nervous novice adventurer into the world’s foremost female ocean rower, having rowed – solo – across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
While crossing those 15,000 miles of the ocean she had to redefine her comfort zone on a daily basis and reach deep into her inner sources of strength, self-discipline, and commitment to her goal.
Roz Savage discovered the vital importance of keeping a cool head in life-endangering situations, to optimise her capacity for smart decision-making, accurate risk assessment and creative problem-solving.
In 2024, she was elected a Liberal Democrat MP for the new South Cotswolds constituency.
Rosalyn Palmer is an award-winning transformational coach and therapist combining clinical hypnotherapy, Rapid Transformational Therapy and NLP-based coaching to create deep change.
She is also an acclaimed author with a remarkable ability to inspire positive change and foster wellbeing.
Rosalyn Palmer has a wellbeing column in local newspaper The Newark Advertiser and was formerly the wellbeing expert on radio show Girls Around Town – a weekly radio programme billed as Radio Newark’s answer to Loose Women, providing news, gossip, opinions, and interviews; made by women, for women, as well as the host of the Monkey Business podcast, exploring the mindset secrets of top business leaders.
She is also the award-winning self-help author of Reset! A Blueprint for a Better Life (2018), and contributor to Ignite Your Life For Women (2019), Ignite Your Female Leadership (2019), and Ignite For Female Changemakers (2020).
Also known as The Corporate Philosopher, Roger Steare is a keynote speaker, published author, and expert on leadership, development, culture, ethics, and diversity, inclusion, and equality.
Over a career spanning 45 years, 26 of those within his own business, he has worked closely with CEOs, leadership teams, and colleagues to help navigate multi-billion-dollar ethical challenges and opportunities.
He has worked with regulators, governments, and professional bodies, including the CIPD, SWP, FCA, FRC, ICAEW, IIA, and IOSCO. He has also drawn on a range of peer-reviewed research in philosophy, psychology, religion, science, popular culture, professional integrity, and organisational culture to develop an approach that can transform individuals, teams, and organisations in just a few months.
Richard Gerver came to prominence when, as a headteacher, he turned around a failing school in the UK in under two years and is now one of the most influential experts on change and human leadership, helping those struggling with uncertainty and change caused by rapid and dramatic shifts in technological, economic, political, health and environmental developments.
Now a prominent expert in the industry, Richard has been named the UK Business Speaker of the Year at least three times, contributes courses to LinkedIn Learning, and has published several books on key themes to great acclaim.
His compelling insights into the nature of leadership, adaptability, and innovation have earned him standing ovations on the world’s most respected stages, including TED, the RSA, and BBC Radio. He works with organisations at the forefront of global innovation and excellence including Visa, Microsoft, Deloitte, Google, TUI and Morgan Stanley and has worked with some of the world’s most iconic retail organisations including Harrods in London.
From his years building up a failing school to working alongside Google and Microsoft, Richard has a rare ability to connect his experiences to each client. His speeches are informative, humorous and entertaining, with delegates inspired to expand their own thinking and increase their potential.
Ralf Schumacher is a former racing driver from Germany and younger brother of Michael Schumacher, the seven-times Formula One World Champion. Ralf and Michael Schumacher are the only siblings to each win Formula One races.
Ralf first drove in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix for the 1997 season, winning his first Grand Prix in 2001. In a racing career that lasted 11 years, Ralf drove for Jordan, Williams and Toyota teams wining a total of six grand prix races.
After leaving Formula One, Ralf joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in 2008 and later retired from motorsport at the end of 2012 to enter a managerial role within DTM, mentoring young drivers.
After his retirement from racing, Ralf went on to become a commentator for Sky Sports Germany, open a restaurant and make his own wine brand.
A celebrated authority in brand management and innovation, Rafe Offer has held senior positions with the some of the world’s largest companies.
As Global Marketing Director for Disney, he pioneered the now infamous “having fun never goes out of style” campaign and, during his tenure, Disney’s sales of adult merchandise grew from $50m to $800m.
Following a further highly successful spell as Global Marketing Director at Coca Cola, where he was responsible for a staggering $1.2 billion of global sales, he was appointed Director of Innovation at Diageo.
Tasked with creating their entrepreneurial business unit, his core responsibility lay in finding new revenue sources while strengthening the core drinks business and brands.
