Speaking
After nearly two decades working with the Royal Marines and 12+ years with major banks and accomplished individuals, I've developed insights about human performance that audiences find both surprising and immediately applicable.
I've spoken for banks, schools, military academies, and leadership forums—always focusing on the 80/20 of what actually matters, delivered through real examples that stick. In 2015, I was the highest-rated speaker for the Academy of Chief Executives, not because I had the slickest presentation, but because I shared insights that genuinely helped people think differently about challenges they were actually facing.
Featured Topic: The Success Paradox
After working with strivers in the first half of my career and achievers in the second half, I've observed something counterintuitive: both groups face similar levels of anxiety and dissatisfaction - just for different reasons. The very sacrifices people make to achieve success often undermine both their ability to succeed and their capacity to enjoy it.
This isn't about success being bad - it's about the unintended consequences of how we pursue it. I explore the three key disconnections that success-chasing creates (physiological, identity, and connection) and why the work of being whole can't wait until after you've "made it."
I also speak on:
Challenging Up & Organisational Intelligence Most organisations accidentally create cultures where questioning leadership feels career-limiting. I explore how to build systems that encourage the upward challenge leaders need while protecting those brave enough to provide it.
Breathing, Thinking & Decision-Making Your breathing patterns directly influence cognitive function and decision quality, yet most people have never learned to use this connection strategically. I share practical approaches to breath-based state management for high-pressure situations.
Dialectical Thinking: The Elite Performer's Mental Toolkit High performers consistently demonstrate an ability to hold contradictory ideas simultaneously—total confidence alongside realistic doubt, aggressive ambition with patient restraint. This cognitive flexibility can be learned and applied across leadership challenges.
Learning & Memory Under Pressure From struggling at school to teaching memory techniques to Special Forces, I've learned that traditional approaches to learning often fail under stress. I share methods that actually work when the stakes are high and time is limited.
The Nervous System: Your Performance Operating System Understanding your nervous system's basic functions is like knowing car mechanics—essential knowledge that helps you operate more effectively. I provide the fundamentals every leader needs to manage stress and optimize performance.
My Approach
I focus on the 80/20 of what actually matters, delivered through real examples that make complex ideas immediately usable. No motivational fluff, no overcomplicated frameworks—just practical understanding earned through decades of working with people who perform when it matters most.
The best insights often come from unexpected places. That's why I draw connections between military selection processes and boardroom dynamics, between breathing mechanics and strategic thinking, between nervous system regulation and team performance.
Speaking Engagements
I'm happy to speak at your event if I genuinely feel I have a contribution to make and time allows. The best engagements happen when there's a real match between what I've learned and what your audience needs to hear.
What you can expect: Insights that challenge conventional thinking about performance, leadership, and human optimization. I'll leave your audience with practical tools they can apply immediately, not just interesting ideas to think about.
Topics I can adapt for your audience:
The physiological foundations of sustainable performance
Why most approaches to stress and burnout miss the point
Building resilience from the ground up
Decision-making under pressure and state management
Creating cultures that enable rather than exhaust high performance
The hidden costs of success and how to mitigate them
