These speakers bring valuable insights from their respective fields, where success demands strategic thinking, teamwork, resilience, and the ability to navigate high-pressure situations.
Drawing from real-life experiences, they provide compelling lessons on overcoming challenges, adapting to change, and performing under pressure, making their insights highly relevant to the business landscape. Their storytelling captivates audiences, turning abstract concepts like discipline, adaptability, and perseverance into actionable takeaways.
Whether athletes and adventurers share their endurance strategies or military speakers emphasize leadership and resilience, these perspectives offer fresh approaches to teamwork, trust, and communication in achieving shared goals. Their stories of triumph over adversity inspire employees to adopt a growth mindset and approach challenges with determination.
Sports speakers’ passion and energy are contagious, leaving a lasting impact on audiences. Their credibility, forged through extraordinary achievements, ensures their messages resonate deeply. Whether focusing on innovation, leadership, or perseverance, these speakers can align with your company’s values and energize your workforce, fostering greater engagement, productivity, and a shared sense of purpose.
Discover our expert Sports, Military and Adventurer below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
“Transformation requires leaders skilled in operating far beyond the familiar, and an organisation that can trust, take ownership and adapt.”
Jim Lawless is a pioneering thought leader and world-class C-suite advisor on strategy execution and high-stakes transformation.
A record-breaking freediver, Jim stands as a global top 10 keynote speaker who has transformed the mindsets of over one million people in 400 countries on five continents.
Paris Norriss is not just an adventurer – he’s a living testament to the power of grit.
An extreme athlete, Dubai-based TV personality, and keynote speaker, Paris has built his career on mental resilience, relentless drive, and the ability to push beyond limits. From navigating high-risk filming environments to conquering some of the world’s toughest endurance challenges, he had mastered the art of thriving under pressure. He is best known for hosting and producing high-adrenaline adventure shows, including Guy in Dubai, and Guy in the Sky.
Paris Norriss determination knows no bounds. In a remarkable feat, he completed the Pacific Row Challenge in 39 days, firmly establishing himself as one of the select few to conquer the arduous 4,800km journey. He also ran seven marathons across seven continents in seven days, completing the World Marathon Challenge in a record-breaking five days and 22 hours.
Paris now delivers a thrilling keynote speech decoding ‘grit’, offering practical actions to develop perseverance, whilst applying proven methods to accelerate career and financial success.
Jo Salter MBE BEng (Hons), MBA, DA is a pioneering leader whose career spans aviation, business, and transformative leadership.
She is best known as Britain’s first female fast jet pilot; her journey from the cockpit of a Tornado GR1 to global boardrooms has inspired generations. Her story is one of inclusion, resilience, and navigating change. Today, she shares that lived experience with audiences around the world as a highly sought-after advisor, coach, and speaker.
Since leaving the RAF, Jo Salter has built a varied business career, holding multiple senior leadership roles at PwC, including Director of Global Transformative Leadership, and Global Advisory Lead for GenAI. She also played a key role in PwC Australia’s 2023 transformation response. Her work has influenced the way many businesses approach leadership, innovation, risk, and the human side of transformation.
In 2002, Jo Salter set up her own consultancy – Saltin Ltd – delivering high-performance coaching, thought leadership, and programme management. A former Lecturer at the Open University Business School, Jo is as comfortable in a boardroom as she is on stage.
Fearless, frank, funny, and friendly, Beverley Turner is a GB News presenter with more than 20 years’ experience in broadcast journalism.
She has also worked for ITV, BBC Radio 5, and TBC Radio.
She currently co-hosts Britain’s Newsroom, the UK’s most popular and fastest growing mid-morning TV news show, covering major stories and interviewing politicians and members of the British public.
She is a Patron for the Family Planning Association (FPA).
Whether booked as a women’s health speaker or a recognisable host, Beverley Turner is entertaining and truly insightful. Her ability to engage an audience leaves a lasting impression, positively influencing ever area of their lives.
Bernie Collins is a renowned Formula 1 strategy analyst and former Head of Race Strategy at Aston Martin. During her career, she has held senior strategy and performance engineering roles, playing a central role in the teams she has worked for.
With a career that has taken her from elite motorsport to broadcasting, Bernie is a testament to what one can achieve with resilience and dedication.
She was one selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Young Rising Stars of Manufacturing for the Make It In Great Britain campaign, and was also named in The Manufacturer’s Top 100 UK Role Models list.
“Who we become on the way to our boldest ambition creates new knowledge of who we are” – Michelle Moore
With over 20 years of senior leadership experience, Michelle Moore is a leadership coach, author, speaker, and thought leader on transformational leadership and resilience.
Named one of the UK’s 50 Most Influential Women in Sport, Michelle is renowned for her compelling storytelling, radical self-awareness, and resilience. She inspires courageous conversations and has spoken in over 20 countries at international summits, conference, and boardrooms.
A powerful advocate for change, she unlocks leadership potential and drives organisational transformation. Her experience spans business, sport, education, and government, with her talks, coaching sessions, and masterclasses transforming the lives of professionals, teams, and cultures.
Binod Shankar is not your average keynote speaker. Binod’s keynotes are sharp, practical, and packed with hard truth your audience needs to hear.
He mixes his real-world experience with his non-nonsense advice and a dash of humour and adventure. Whether he’s tackling career pivots, leadership, or personal growth, Binod delivers insights that sick and push people to act.
He has held leadership roles at EU, KPMG, and Nakheel, where he helped raise the world’s largest convertible Islamic bond. Later, he founded Genesis, a financial training firm that he sold on to Kaplan, a $2 billion global powerhouse.
He is also a chartered accountant, a CFA charter holder, and holds a level 7 coaching and mentoring qualification from ILM; he is the author of bestselling book Let’s Get Real, and is a regular guest on CNBC and Bloomberg.
Binod doesn’t just give talks – he provokes, he challenges, he moves people to action. A former CEO and finance expert, he distils hard-won leadership and business insights into unforgettable messages that audiences will carry with them long after the applause has died down.
As one of the UK’s leading sports presenters and commentators, Jacqui Oatley MBE is a respected and popular reporter and broadcaster journalist who made history in 2007 as the first female commentator on Match of the Day and has been racking up the “firsts” ever since.
In 2015, Jacqui was named in The Independent as the 8th most influential woman in sport.
Jacqui Oatley is currently the lead commentator on Sky Sports, covering the FA Women’s Super League and presents EFL on Quest as well as darts events for ITV Sport.
Jamil Qureshi is one of today’s foremost practitioners of performance-enhancing psychology, and is an expert in high-performing teams.
He has enjoyed working with a rich diversity of the most talented business and sports people and teams in the world, helping six individuals reach World Number 1 in their chosen industry.
He has worked with golfers, footballers, Formula 1 drivers, and cricketers, as well as businesses in over 24 countries worldwide.
Ranked among the most influential figures in British sport in 2009 by GQ Magazine, Jamil was voted in the top 100 coaches in the world by The Daily Mirror in 2023.
Jamil is also a globally recognised speaker on all aspects of the psychology of performance, psychology of leadership, leadership attitudes, improving people, cultural change techniques, and team performance.
Mark Pollock is an explorer, researcher, and prominent keynote speaker. Everything he does is about inspiring leaders and their teams to build resilience, optimise performance, and collaborate with others so they can achieve more than they ever thought possible.
Not letting his blindness get in the way, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps – in fact, he became the first blind person to race to the South Pole. He also won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games.
In 2010, a fall from a second story window nearly killed him. Breaking his back, and damaging his spinal cord to the extent that he became paralysed, Mark is now on a new expedition, this time exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide to cure paralysis in our lifetime.
Susie Wolff MBE is a former motorsport driver, Managing Director of the F1 Academy, and a motivational keynote speaker.
She began her competitive motorsport career over 20 years ago, starting out on the karting track. After cutting her teeth in karting, Formula Renault, and DTM for Mercedes-Benz, she made history at the 2014 British Grand Prix by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend in 22 years.
After retiring from driving in 2015, and as part of her commitment to fostering positive change within the sport, she launched Dare To Be Different, an initiative aimed at driving female talent by inspiring the next generation and increasing female participation in all aspects of motorsport.
Her hard work was awarded in 2017 with an MBE for her services and contribution to women in sport.
Debra Searle MVO, MBE, is a unique and inspiring individual. A businesswoman, professional adventurer, and motivational speaker, Debra is convinced that learning to choose the right attitude, can transform our personal and professional lives.
Debra has launched five companies, presented over 40 programmes for the BBC, won Gold World Championship medals for Team GB, was the youngest ever trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Once voted World #1 Female Motivational Speaker in the Global Gurus ranking, Debra has been honoured twice by the late Queen, an MBE in 2002 and an MVO in 2014.
She is a successful author, and has spoken at over 1,300 events across 40 countries about her incredible achievements. In fact, the movie of her solo Atlantic row is currently in development in Hollywood!
Wayne Barnes OBE is one of the world’s leading international sports officials, named World Rugby Referee of the Year in 2019 and took charge of the Rugby World Cup Final in 2023.
In addition, he is a criminal barrister, public speaker, and highly sought-after media contributor. Wayne is a Partner at the globally renowned law firm Squire Patton Boggs in London.
Wayne Barnes OBE is not just a leading international sports official, but a record-breaker. In 2022, he became an international centurion, refereeing his 100th test match, and a week later, he broke the World Record for the most internationals ever refereed.
He has overseen 273 English Premiership games, officiated 17 Six Nations tournaments, and taken charge of 10 Premiership Finals. Wayne has presided over 27 Rugby World Cup matches, more than anyone else in history, at an unrivalled 5 RWC Tournaments.
He announced his professional refereeing retirement in November 2023, and fittingly, his last match in charge was the Rugby World Cup Final 2023. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for his services to rugby union.
Wayne regularly contributes to all aspects of rugby media, including mainstream TV and the broadsheets, as an expert pundit and commentator. Offering in-depth, expert analysis, Wayne is uniquely placed to explain the technicalities of law and the nuances of the global game.
Simon Hartley is a globally respected performance coach and sport psychology consultant. For almost 30 years, he has worked with world records holders, gold medallists, top five world-ranked professional athletes, world champions, Olympians, and Championship winning sports teams.
In 2008, he founded Be World Class, where he coaches individuals, teams, and organisations to help maximise their performance, and work towards becoming world class in their field. Through his work, he has worked with international rugby teams, Formula 1, cricket, and NFL, as well as with organisations such as Proctor & Gamble, NatWest, and Sky.
He is also a successful writer, and co-host of The Podium Podcast and The Demon Charmers Podcast.
He has since applied the principles of sport psychology to the world of business, healthcare, education, charity, and military. Simon is now a very popular motivational keynote speaker.
Paddy Lowe is one of the most accomplished engineers and technical directors in Formula 1 history. He has a remarkable record of 158 Grand Prix victories and 12 World Championship titles. His career, spanning influential roles at Williams, McLaren, and Mercedes, has solidified his reputation as a leading force in engineering and team leadership within the sport.
Paddy’s illustrious career has seen him collaborate with some of Formula1’smost iconic drivers, including Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, and Fernando Alonso.
As the Technical Director of Mercedes, Paddy was instrumental in guiding the team to 53 Grand Prix wins, working closely with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg.
His strategic leadership was pivotal in Mercedes’ dominance, particularly between 2013 and 2015, where his focus on quality and reliability transformed the team into a powerhouse.
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 Bishop is a former Chief Communications Officer of the McLaren and Aston Martin Formula 1 teams and one of the sport’s most influential communications professionals.
With a background in journalism, Matt made his mark as the Editor of F1 Racing magazine, one of the most popular and widely-read Formula 1 publications.
In 2008, Matt transitioned from journalism to a key role within Formula 1 teams, becoming the Head of Communications and Public Relations for McLaren Racing. Matt’s unique skills helped to transform McLaren’s public and media profile, including during some of the team’s most turbulent times.
He played a key role in helping Aston Martin establish itself as a credible force in Formula 1 in 2020. During his work with the famous British brand he worked closely with 4-times World Champion Sebastian Vettel, helping the German star to become one of the most popular and high profile ambassadors in the sport.
In 2023, Matt founded Diagonal Communications, a company that provides expert communications consulting to high-profile clients in automotive and motorsport. He is also the founder and ambassador of Racing Pride, which was established in 2019 in collaboration with Stonewall to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the motorsport industry.
Kenton Cool stands as a beacon of high-altitude climbing and adventure, with a staggering 18 successful ascents of Mount Everest and a multitude of other peaks under his belt. His conquests include the revered ‘seven summits’ – the tallest mountains on each continent. Notably, he is the only Briton to have skied down two peaks over 8,000 meters, a feat that sets him apart in the world of high-altitude climbing.
As an elite IFMGA guide, Kenton leads daring expeditions and shares his insights on leadership and team performance with corporate clients. His dynamic and inspirational speaking style makes him a sought-after motivational speaker, capable of captivating and energising audiences.
Kenton’s passion for climbing began with his first expedition to Pakistan at 19, sparking a lifelong love for the high mountains. He thrives on guiding clients up iconic routes and to the summits of some of the world’s most challenging peaks, from the Himalayas to the Alps and beyond.
Through innovative and pioneering experiences, he offers lessons that clients can apply in both their professional and personal lives.
With over 44 successful expeditions under his belt and many more planned, Kenton Cool is an enthusiastic keynote speaker, ideal for inspiring teams at kick-off meetings, entertaining as an after-dinner speaker, motivating conference attendees, or adding excitement to awards ceremonies.
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.
Jill Scott MBE is a retired professional footballer who was part of England’s 2022 Euro win, amongst other high-level competitions.
Over her 16 years of experience, and 161 England caps, Jill has seen women’s football grow to the level that saw a record crowd of over 87,000 watch their Euro win.
Alongside her football interests, she co-owns a high-profile coffee shop in Manchester with Shelly Unitt called BOXX2BOX.
She is now a popular media personality and soccer pundit, in demand for various corporate panels and Q+As.
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.
Guenther Steiner is a celebrated motor racing engineer, team principle, as well as author and Netflix personality. He is one of motor racing’s biggest and most renowned characters.
Fluent in Italian, German and English Guenther – in his 37 year career – progressed from engineer to Team Principal within Formula One.
Joining forces with Gene Haas, Guenther Steiner was the driving force behind the creation of the Haas Formula One team. Under his leadership, Haas became the first American constructor in 30 years to compete in Formula 1, making a respectable debut at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with a sixth-place finish.
Guenther was known for his straightforward management style, colourful language, and ability to handle team dynamics under pressure. His candid and passionate personality received global recognition in 2019 in the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
The Netflix series covered Formula One World Championship, showing exclusive access to the drivers and team principals.
In 2023, Guenther Steiner published his book Driving to Survive, which became a The Times bestseller.
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.
