David Ribott

David Ribott is a multi-award-winning board and leadership advisor, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Ribott Partners. Utilising over twenty years of experience, David supports organisations, executives, and board members in optimising their decision-making, leadership, and trust in high-stakes environments. As a speaker, he shares valuable insights on topics such as ethical leadership, board governance, and strategic alignment. David has also accumulated more than 9,000 hours of executive coaching experience, working directly with leaders responsible for performance, culture, continuity, transformation, and strategic execution. Ideal for conferences, summits, and workshops, David Ribott is a fantastic addition to any event.

As Founder and Managing Director of Ribott Partners, David advises boards, CEOs, managing directors, and senior leadership teams across government, energy, construction, financial services, aviation, healthcare, and education. His work focuses on board effectiveness, trust at the top, executive judgment, leadership under pressure, succession, and the quality of decision-making in complex environments. David also serves as Industry Faculty with NYU Abu Dhabi Executive Education. This role strengthens the connection between David’s practical advisory work and the rigor expected in executive learning environments. He brings substance without becoming overly academic, helping senior audiences examine difficult leadership realities and translate insight into more effective action.

David also draws on his experience as a former semi-professional athlete, applying the principles of elite performance training through his 'Corporate Athlete Approach'. This approach recognises the parallels between leaders and elite athletes, both of whom must train to perform under pressure, recover effectively, build resilience, exercise sound judgement, and sustain high performance over time. In addition to his advisory roles, David is also an accredited board director, a Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, and the bestselling author of 'Informed Leadership'. His work reflects a core belief that leadership effectiveness is not measured only by ambition, authority, or results. It is equally shaped by the quality of judgment, trust, accountability, and alignment leaders create around them. 

On stage, David is calm, direct, and commercially grounded. He does not rely on generic motivation or abstract theory. He helps experienced leaders see what pressure may be distorting, confront what is being avoided, and apply practical frameworks to the decisions and conversations that matter most. For the impact of his work, David was ranked thirteenth in the Management category of Global Gurus Top 30 list 2026 and won the 2026 Inc. Arabia’s Leaders of Tomorrow Award. To secure David for your next event, contact Champions Speakers today!