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
Nicole Bearne has been at the forefront of Formula 1 for over 25 years, contributing to the success of the Brawn Grand Prix and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 teams.
Her extensive motorsport experience includes executive and technical operations, internal communications, employee experience and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Nicole’s career achievements include nine Constructors’ World Championships and eight Drivers’ titles, which underscore her instrumental role in driving success both on and off the racetrack.
As a pivotal member of renowned teams such as Brawn GP and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One, her journey is a testament to excellence, leadership, and innovation in one of the most demanding industries.
In 2023, Nicole founded The Comms Exchange, a consultancy dedicated to enhancing internal communications, employee engagement, and leadership strategies for organisations across various industries. Armed with a master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour, as well as professional certifications from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Institute of Internal Communications, Nicole brings unparalleled expertise to her current role.
Nicole’s unique blend of real-world F1 business acumen and academic expertise makes her a compelling speaker for various audiences. She is frequently invited to speak at conferences in the UK, USA and Europe.
Matt Swain is the founder and CEO of Triangle, working with an exclusive group of UK and US leading founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs, helping to build their digital reputation to drive commercial outcomes.
He is also the founder of SOCIAL CLUB, an exclusive social media communications company where influencers and brands manage a following of over 328 million.
Matt is also a published author, and a popular inspirational speaker.
Karun Chandhok is one of only two Indian drivers to compete in Formula 1 and one of the most respected broadcasters in the sport today.
Born into a family which was steeped in motor sport history, Karun Chandhok rose through the ranks of junior formulae racing to become test driver for the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team in 2007/8. He competed in the Formula 1 World Championship for Hispania Racing Team and Team Lotus in 2010 and 2011.
After his Formula 1 career, Karun transitioned into broadcasting, where he quickly established himself as one of the most respected analysts in the sport. Today he is an expert analyst for Sky Sports F1, broadcasting to 62 countries.
Karun also sits on the Board of Motorsport UK, the national governing body of motorsport and is one of the key members of the world’s governing body, the FIA. He is a member of Motorsport UK’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and also devotes time to working on the development of junior single-seater formulae.
Jason Leonard is a former professional rugby union player widely regarded as one of the greatest props in the history of the sport.
During his 14 year international rugby career, he won a then-record 114 caps for England, won four Six Nations Grand Slams and the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Part of the British & Irish Lions team, Jason went on three tours and was a member of the Lions squad that won the test series during their 1997 tour of South Africa. He played club rugby for Barking RFC, Saracens and Harlequins, making 290 appearances for his club, Harlequins, spanning both the amateur and professional game.
In 2002, Jason earned an MBE for services to sport, which became an OBE after England’s Rugby World Cup success. He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.
Jason retired from Rugby in 2004 and since then has continued to play an integral part in global rugby and has become a sought-after corporate and entertainment speaker.
Jane Leonard is a fearless adventurer, accomplished entrepreneur, elite England rugby player, and celebrated author.
Her remarkable journey demonstrates that anything is possible with determination, resilience, and an unrelenting drive to succeed. With an infectious personality and a natural ability to inspire, Jane thrives in team environments where her leadership and energy elevate everyone around her.
Jane’s passion for breaking boundaries doesn’t stop at the Channel. Four years earlier, she earned a Guinness World Record for rowing across the Pacific Ocean as part of a three-woman team.
Previously, Jane Leonard spent a decade in the British Army as a Royal Engineer and Physical Training Instructor and also earned nine caps for England rugby.
She is a published author and the creator of The P.I.E.C.E by Piece Peak Performance Program, which helps people improve their performance in life.
When Jane takes the stage as a motivational speaker, audiences are captivated by her authenticity, insight, and incredible journey. Her talks leave attendees inspired, energised, and equipped with actionable strategies to overcome their challenges and reach new heights.
Hayley Mulenda is one of the most inspiring young voices in the UK currently. An established keynote speaker, consultant, and change agent, Hayley has worked all over the world, from the Middle East to North America and Africa.
With over 180,000 social media followers, Hayley has her finger firmly on the pulse when it comes to helping Gen Z and millennials with their mental health and well-being.
Named as one of Black Business Show X HSBC’s ‘Top 25 Black Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2024’, Hayley’s story is not short of difficulties.
After nearly taking her life when she was 18 years old, she had a profound realisation about the growing impact that mental health issues are having on millennials. This experience ignited her passion to make a difference to others. Her personal journey and insights have made her a credible advocate and speaker for mental health and wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion.
Hayley has spoken on stages such as Wembley Arena, and counts KFC, KPMG, META, Microsoft, Unilever, Wagamama amongst her clients. On top of this, she serves on the board of Wagamama to help the company engage young people from diverse backgrounds and is a Governor at St Angela’s Ursuline School.
Gary Foote is the Chief Information Officer and Director of Sustainability at the Haas Formula 1 Team. In a career that has spanned 20 years, he has been part of numerous Motorsport World Championship-winning teams, winning 6 world titles with drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Jenson Button.
As the CIO of the Haas Formula One Team, he is responsible for several operational departments spanning IT, Digital, Facilities, Operations, ESG, and Continuity. As the ESG lead, he drives the teams’ carbon reduction initiatives forward, manages their community outreach program, and ensures adherence to their social responsibility agenda.
Gary is an active public speaker who is often engaged in discussions on topics such as data, innovation, a high-performance mindset, team ethos and culture, sustainability and diversity, and digital transformation.
“If you follow conventional thinking, all you’ll ever be is conventional.”
Chris Arnold is a Dr of Business, a former Board Director of Saatchi & Saatchi and DMA, and former chair of both the DMA Agencies Council and the Creative Council. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur having founded a number of creative agencies over the years.
Chris Arnold is also a prominent author, having written a number of business books, including Ethical Marketing and the New Consumer.
He is now a popular keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.
Akil Hunte is a multi-award-winning lawyer, consultant, spoken-word poet, social entrepreneur, and diversity speaker.
Growing up in a single-parent household, as a black man from inner city London, Akil Hunte has had to navigate many challenges over the years; from being hit by a car to witnessing the Grenfell Tower fire, he has triumphed over trauma to thrive on his professional journey. He made history as the first student to win the Dean’s Award at the University for two consecutive years. He was named the Outstanding Alumni by Nottingham Trent University in 2023 and was a Rising Star in the Legal 500 ESG Awards.
In 2019, Akil Hunte was among the 30 people selected to be listed in that year’s edition of GUAP Magazine’s #TheBlackList2019 30 Under 30s, which celebrates young black creatives and professionals. He is a popular keynote speaker, discussing everything from law to diversity and equality. He has worked with clients including Nottingham Trent University, LinkedIn, Hogan Lovells, Clyde & Co, Freshfields, and CEL Solicitors.
Abigail Ireland is a Peak Performance Strategist, international keynote speaker, coach, and facilitator.
Passionate about inspiring her audiences to bring their A-Game, Abigail Ireland is the founder of Understanding Performance, a leadership and training consultancy helping clients perform at their best in a sustainable way.
Her expertise is in high demand and she has been featured in a range of HR and media publications, including GQ Magazine, HR Magazine, and the ILM.
Tom Scudamore is a retired jockey who amassed over 1500 victories in his 25 year racing career with a place in the top 10 most successful jump jockeys of all time.
Scudamore’s most notable win came on Thistlecrack in the 2016 King George VI Chase at Kempton. Other notable wins include the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree in 2013, Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in 2015 and the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow in 2020 as well as ten Cheltenham Festival victories.
Following a number of episodes of concussion caused by falls and after being unseated from his horse during a race in February 2023, Tom made the decision to retire with immediate effect.
Since retiring Tom has made a smooth transition to media and broadcasting, starting at Ascot in 2023 when he was part of the ITV presentation team.
Tim Bradshaw is a former British Army Intelligence Officer and a 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.
Tim founded, and is a director of, Sandstone Communications, and international leadership and team building consultancy. He is Chief Executive Officer of the Sandstone Foundation delivering resilience workshops to schools and young people. His experience and understanding of creating influence, building resilience, and leadership forms the basis of the work he carries out with clients and audiences worldwide.
He explores why leaders and teams are so often misguided by prioritising perception over reality. Too often processes override outcomes and decisions are left to one or two individuals. A fear of failure, and its repercussions means people avoid being associated with those decisions instead of being a part of them.
Combining the inspirational with the practical, Tim explores the common mistakes and important lessons in creating influence and resilience within teams and clients. It starts with intelligence, not information.
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.
