John Hayes

Firmly at the helm of the Champions brand, John Hayes has been the CEO since 2003. For well over a decade, he has grown the business to the monolith of entertainment and events that it is today. John is also credited for the success of Champions' sibling companies, including The Motivational Speakers Agency and Champions Music and Entertainment, a testament to his outstanding influence as a business leader. John also has a passion for sporting, political and entertainment memorabilia, which are dotted around each of our offices. He has even previously sponsored Johnny Herbert's Formula 1 car!

In the early years, John and his son, Matthew, worked from their home, before commissioning purpose-built premises for their team to grow. Fast forward to 2010, John and his team decided to rebrand to Champions: The Speakers Agency, in response to the business' explosion in international interest from different sectors. In 2019, John opened the Digital and Media Centre, followed by our first office in Dubai.

Considering his long and successful career, it is no surprise that John is an authority on business management and entrepreneurship. Champions' outstanding customer service is credited to John's friendly and down to earth approach to client relations, which combines with our marketing and sales strategies to solidify our position as market leaders. 

John is an avid fundraiser and prides himself on his close connection with a range of great causes. Most notably, he has raised over £2 million for the children's charity, Rainbows Children's Hospice, alongside the Champions team. From 2003, all the way to the present day, Champions have been honoured with several accolades, including; 2012 The Sunday Times' FastTrack100, 2012 The Telegraph 1000 Britain's Brightest Businesses and the 2014 Santander Breakthrough50 Award to name a few.