Focusing on key themes such as resilience, teamwork, and mental health, these speakers help audiences develop the mindset and skills necessary to overcome challenges and achieve personal and professional success. Our Personal Development speakers empower individuals to bounce back from setbacks while promoting the importance of teamwork to drive collaboration, innovation, and collective growth. Additionally, by addressing mental health, they emphasise the significance of maintaining emotional well-being, creating a balanced approach to both personal and professional development.
Our Great Business Speakers provide actionable tools and techniques that foster a positive mindset, enhance interpersonal skills, and encourage self-care. They motivate individuals to embrace change, develop a strong sense of purpose, and work together to overcome obstacles. Our Personal Development Speakers create a transformative experience through real-life, motivational examples and engaging stories, equipping audiences with the tools to build a healthier, more productive, and successful future.
Discover our Personal Development Speakers below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
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.
Marlo Clarke is an engaging Personal Development Speaker, empowering individuals to find their purpose in the present moment while navigating the uncertainties on the path to achieving their goals.
As a former Barbados international rugby player, charity and business director in the USA and UK, and two-time TEDx Speaker, Marlo Clarke’s extraordinary journey has taken him to present to a diverse range of audiences, from Fortune 500 companies in the USA to rural schools in South Africa.
Throughout his travels across three continents, Marlo has interviewed hundreds of individuals from all walks of life, including CEOs, politicians, students, and young professionals, listening to their stories and learning about their struggles and triumphs.
Through his global journey Marlo identified the profound truth that many people pursue success without a clear personal definition of what it is to them.
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.
“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.
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.
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 Alexander Ong is a personal development entrepreneur, coach, and public speaker.
His work has seen him appear on television channels including Sky News and the BBC, and on BBC Radio London and LBC Radio. He has also featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and Women’s Health.
Simon is also a bestselling author; his debut book Energize was published in 2022 and received positive endorsements frrom the likes of authors Simon Sinek and Dr Marshall Goldsmith.
Everything that Simon does is built around inspiring people to see their world differently, and igniting their imagination of what is truly possible so that they can lead purposeful lives, careers, and businesses.
As a personal development coach and speaker, his clients are from all walks of life but they all share one trait: they all believe that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself. He has spoken at the Peter Jones Foundation, the LSE, and The World Business and Executive Coach Summit (WBECS), and even appeared in a nationwide campaign for Barclays.
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.
Sarah Furness is a former RAF Combat Helicopter Pilot, motivational keynote speaker, and inspirational trainer.
After graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in Natural Sciences and Theology, Sarah joined the Royal Air Force, first as an air safety trainer and then as a helicopter pilot. During her two decades there, she worked on tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, commanded a 120-man team across Kabul, and planned special forces operations.
Her experience in such hostile and challenging environments led to her transition into an inspirational and motivational keynote speaker. But she still has her mission: “To share the secret to outstanding resilience, performance and courage under fire”.
Sam Jones combines his unique tools with his years of experience to coach the UK’s brightest public figures and influencers to create more productivity, better performances and improved wellbeing within young people.
He looks at the culture of instant-access information on our phones and devices and how it is affecting our own psychology, as well as how a fast-paced world can impact on our thoughts and feelings.
The topics he focuses on include Generation Z, wellbeing and mental health, retention and resilience of Gen Z, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a Gen Z perspective.
Sally Bee is an international motivational speaker, an author, broadcaster and survivor of five heart attacks.
Sally was only 36 years old when she experienced her first heart attack, an episode that started at a children’s birthday party where she suddenly felt extreme pain in her chest. Thinking she was too young to have a heart attack, the hospital sent her home with indigestion tablets.
Sadly, she had a further two heart attacks in the coming weeks and her family were advised to say their goodbyes due to the extensive damage caused to her heart. Having made a full recovery and worked hard on her mental wellbeing, Sally’s world was rocked again 12 years later in 2016, when she suffered two further heart attacks.
Having fought for her life five times, Sally knows the true meaning and importance of resilience and inner strength. What became patently clear to Sally was the need to strip away all the noise and meaningless distractions to gain clarity on what is really important in life, and this is something Sally shares in her inspiring talks.
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).
“Ronan is a world-class resilience teacher” – John Waterfield, Head of Strategic Relationships, KPMG.
Ronan Harrington is an advisor to some of the world’s leading companies on how to create sustainable, high performance cultures.
Using his own experience in burnout, he delights audiences with a fresh take on resilience. His innovative approach helps audiences understand how to boost their wellbeing and their productivity, driving company growth even during times of uncertainty.
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 McCann is a motivational speaker, coach, workshop facilitator and author of three bestselling books that tell his personal story of surviving after extreme adversity.
At the age of just five, Richard experienced the loss of his mother in horrific circumstances, her death at the hands of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. After his mother’s murder, he was then brought up by his often drunk and violent father, living on a tough council estate in Leeds, England.
This led to turbulent times in foster care and an unsettled school life, which he left with no qualifications. Richard found himself with no prospects, making mistake after mistake, and landing himself in prison, ironically the same prison as his mother’s killer.
On his release from prison, he hit rock bottom, feeling he had zero prospects and no reason to live; he shared a suicide pact with his sister.
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.
Rachel Watkyn is an award-winning entrepreneur, businesswoman, keynote speaker, and sustainability advocate.
She started Tiny Box Company from a bedroom in her parent’s home, and went on to receive investment on Dragons’ Den. She is the winner of the 2010 National Small Business Recycler of the Year, the 2020 NatWest Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2020 Rural Business Award, and the 2021 Entrepreneurial Business of the Year Award.
Now a popular keynote speaker, Rachel’s mission is to encourage female entrepreneurs to follow their passions and fulfil their dreams.
R. Michael Anderson’s unique combination of real-life experience of founding, scaling and exiting three software enterprises, matched with his masters degree in psychology, is the reason he’s trained leaders at some of the most successful companies in the world including Microsoft, PwC and Salesforce.
In addition, he’s authored a number of best-selling leadership books, contributes to entrepreneur.com and was once named Social Entrepreneur of the Year.
His popular book Leading the Next Normal: A Guide to Building an Engaged, Resilient and Agile Virtual Workforce (2021) teaches managers and executives how to successfully navigate the chaotic world we currently live in.
Given he’s 6′ 8″ tall, you can’t possibly miss Michael, and it also explains why, in a former life, he was a professional basketball player!
Perry McCarthy is quite simply unique. He is an ex-Formula One driver, a bestselling author, and he was the original secret racing driver from BBC’s Top Gear – The Stig.
He is now a popular keynote speaker, and has carried out over 1,500 appearances, combining his famous sense of humour with his experiences in motor sport.
His attitude and his story has been inspirational; the 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill once said of Perry, “I have constant admiration for how he turns a no hope situation in to some sort of triumph”.
