Leadership is the ability to inspire, guide, and influence others toward a common goal. It requires vision, empathy, resilience, and the courage to make decisions that drive positive change.
Why Should a Leadership Speaker be Hired?
Leadership is the backbone of any business. When hired for corporate events, leadership speakers use their tangible passion for leading to inspire and motivate the senior members of your team. With only 48% of employees viewing their leaders as "high quality", it is vital to invest in your senior leadership team.
Who are the Top Leadership Speakers to Hire?
After evaluating exclusive event survey feedback from 127 leadership-themed events, held between 2023 and February 2025, Megan Lupton has provided her expert opinion on the top leadership speakers to hire!
- Nicky Moffat
- Clive Woodward
- Carey Lohrenz
- Colonel Tim Collins
- Baroness Karren Brady
- Charles Van Commenée
- Bear Grylls
- Mark Gallagher
- Roz Savage
- Helen Sharman
Nicky Moffat
THE HIGHEST-RANKED WOMAN IN THE BRITISH ARMY
As the highest-ranked woman in the British Army, Nicky Moffat discovered first-hand the good, the bad, and the biased when it comes to leadership. For nearly three decades, she developed skills in communication, empathy and teamwork to lead her team, skills she now shares with corporate audiences at events.
An empowering addition to D&I events, leadership conferences and corporate training workshops, Nicky's speeches leave a resounding impact on audiences of all industries.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Nicky:
"We booked Nicky to talk at our ‘women in road’ network event. Nicky gave a fantastic talk and really connected with her audience who found her both interesting and thought-provoking. She was a great success and feedback after the event was all positive – they loved her!" - The AA
Clive Woodward
ENGLAND HEAD COACH FOR THE 2003 RUGBY WORLD CUP VICTORY
Clive Woodward is credited with the England rugby union team’s early 2000s success, including their iconic 2003 Australia World Cup victory. Combined with his experience as the former Director of Sport at the British Olympic Association, Clive’s speeches translate to audiences his winning mindset, leaving them better equipped to guide their team to success. A speaker like Clive will thrill audiences with his star-studded anecdotes while teaching them how to perfect their leadership approach.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Clive:
"It was a great pleasure to meet Sir Clive, and his presentation was incredibly well-received. His presentation was aligned perfectly with the day, while also being very engaging and entertaining. It was the key highlight of our meeting; excellent feedback was received all round. Please extend our thanks to Sir Clive once again." - Vivid Medical Communications
Carey Lohrenz
THE FIRST-EVER FEMALE F-14 TOMCAT PILOT
As the first-ever female F-15 Tomcat pilot, Carey Lohrenz understands how to lead in a male-dominated environment. She has operated in risky situations across the globe, developing her leadership skills in pressurised situations to become a sought-after public speaker, as depicted in her book, Fearless Leadership: High-Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck. Now, Carey is booked by Fortune 100 businesses, to share her exceptional insight and revolutionise their standard of leadership.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Carey:
"Wow! You were so inspiring and gave me great takeaways I can use with my team: Staying Focused on What Matters, Be Flexible, Adapt, Overcome, and Find my Third Way! You were captivating! So fascinating and yet relatable to MY world! Thank you." - Angie, District Manager, Starbucks Coffee Company
Colonel Tim Collins
FORMER COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT
Colonel Tim Collins is credited for one of the most rousing speeches in military history - his talk with British Troops on the eve of the Iraq War in 2003. The speech, which for many embodied the meaning of military leadership, pledged to liberate, not conquer, a sentiment that touched the hearts of many. It is even framed in the White House's Oval Office.
Colonel Collins’ speech set the standard for leadership, and his presentations continue to impact audiences today.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Tim:
"Tim gave a very entertaining after dinner speech which he pitched perfectly to our young people who were receiving awards for their completed apprenticeships. The adventures he recounted were put in perspective for the audience, providing real-life lessons with great humour. Highly recommended." - TTE Training Ltd
Baroness Karren Brady
FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BIRMINGHAM CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
As Managing Director of Birmingham City FC, Baroness Karren Brady proved that she is a leader above the rest. Star of The Apprentice, she has since become a symbol of British business, a title that earned her such accolades as the 2007 Revitalise Businesswoman of the Year.
Baroness Brady has been listed as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Britain, a reflection of her hunger for success and exceptional leadership ability. When booked for events, she connects with business managers to leave a resounding impression.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Karren:
“We recently engaged Karren to deliver a keynote speech at our annual conference in Manchester for circa 2200 delegates. Karren’s speech was totally ‘on-message’ and really resonated with our team members. Karren’s appearance created a real WOW for our team members.” - Costa Coffee
Charles Van Commenée
FORMER HEAD COACH OF UK ATHLETICS
When you think of the 2012 London Olympic Games, several iconic images spring to mind – from Mo Farah’s double Olympic Gold to Greg Rutherford leaping to success. What you did not see, however, was the hours that Charles Van Commenée put in to strengthen Team GB’s potential.
Upon being appointed coach, he quickly brought the athletes together as a single driving force of Olympic prestige. Charles shares with audiences his elite leadership strategy when booked for events.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Charles:
"Charles delivered a one-hour presentation on Leadership and Coaching at our annual conference. His messages and core themes were perfectly aligned to what we expect from our leaders and his coaching philosophy was one that we can all learn from and apply. His no-compromise approach to accountability will ring true to any organisation that is serious about performance." - Santander Corporate Banking
Bear Grylls
TELEVISION PERSONALITY BEST KNOWN FROM 'MAN VS. WILD'
Bear Grylls has extensive and diverse experience in leadership. Starting with his position in the British Army, for which he received the honorary rank of lieutenant commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, and his later presenting role on Man vs. Wild, Bear has more than proven his leadership abilities.
As a speaker, Bear uses his lifelong experience in leadership roles and natural stage presence to engage with managers and senior business figures. Audiences receive actionable, measurable guidance, wrapped up in a visually engaging presentation. Your guests will instantly recognise Bear Grylls and will never forget an event featuring this outstanding leader.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Bear:
"I have never had such a positive reaction to a speaker before, the team were simply enthralled, an inspiration to all who listened!" - Trading Director, Coca-Cola
Mark Gallagher
CO-FOUNDER & OWNER OF STATUS GRAND PRIX
In motorsports, leadership does not just mean the difference between first and last place, it can be life or death. Mark Gallagher, renowned as one of the most accomplished Formula 1 speakers in the world, understand more than most the importance of leadership, in both business and sport. He was part of the senior management team for the Jordan Grand Prix, a role in which Mark developed the skills and knowledge he shares with corporate audiences today.
The author, broadcaster, and leadership speaker is an expert on innovation in business. When booked for events, Mark teaches audiences how to create peak-performing, innovative teams, based on his approach to leadership.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Mark:
"The session with Mark went really well and has received hugely positive feedback from the attendees. Please pass our thanks onto Mark and thank you very much for arranging the session." - Alison, DCC
Roz Savage
THE FIRST WOMAN TO ROW SOLO ACROSS THREE OCEANS
When Roz Savage became the only solo female competitor to finish the Atlantic Rowing Race, she proved that leadership means so much more than managing a team – it also means leading yourself to success. As a speaker, she often focuses on the importance of personal development in leadership, and how leaders must look inwards to succeed in their team.
While battling crashing waves and open oceans, Roz discovered the value of mental resilience. At events, she recounts her sailing stories for audiences of all industries and sectors – and judging from her many positive testimonials, audiences cannot get enough of Roz’s adrenaline-fuelled anecdotes!
Official Speaking Testimonial for Roz:
"Roz was energetic, passionate, engaging and real. Her connection with both our employees and our clients, and the dialogue it sparked both within the room and beyond was tremendous. Everyone left with a little optimistic spring in their step, inspired to make changes and live their lives a little differently. It was an amazing experience to share her world for that hour." - Jill, Credit Suisse
Helen Sharman
THE FIRST BRITISH ASTRONAUT TO TRAVEL INTO SPACE
Helen Sharman is best known as the first British astronaut to travel to space. As the first Briton to visit the Mir Space Station, she used her outstanding leadership skills to complete the mission. Helen is an ‘out-of-this-world' keynote leadership speaker with an incredible story to tell, a story that is guaranteed to captivate your audiences.
From her intensive training process as an astronaut, Helen learned the importance of mental resilience, communication, and internal strength in leadership. At events, she imparts this wisdom to audiences, leaving them with a new mindset toward leading their teams.
Official Speaking Testimonial for Helen:
"Please could you pass on massive thanks to Helen on behalf of all of us at Computacenter and AWS. We all found her story inspirational and were really honoured to have her be part of our event. The content tied in beautifully to our own theme and Helen had clearly spent a lot of time and effort in preparing her presentation as her delivery was immaculate." - Justin, Computercentre
Hire a Leadership Speaker with Champions Speakers!
To hire one of the expert leadership speakers mentioned above, contact Champions Speakers today by calling us on 0207 1010 553. Alternatively, complete our online form and an agent will be in touch shortly.
This exclusive article on the top leadership speakers to hire was authored by Megan Lupton, using exclusive event survey feedback from 127 leadership-themed events, held between 2023 and February 2025.
An image of the top 10 leadership speakers to hire via Champions Speakers, as selected by Senior Content Executive, Megan Lupton.
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