Alex Atherton is an award-winning keynote speaker, leadership coach and specialist in Generation Z and multigenerational workplaces. He is known for his direct style and for helping organisations bridge the divide between older leadership teams and younger staff. His biggest achievement to date is winning the Speaker Awards 2025, recognition that reflects both the demand for his insight and the strength of his delivery.
Alex began his career in inner-city secondary schools, first in Manchester then across London. He taught subjects including government and politics, sociology, business studies and history before moving into leadership roles. He completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship and went on to lead two large comprehensive schools as Headteacher, an experience that sharpened his understanding of human behaviour and organisational culture. Those years in education also introduced him to the growing misunderstanding between generations, something he noticed long before it became a mainstream business concern. Hearing young people labelled as ‘snowflakes’ once too often sparked the research that shaped his later work.
His career since leaving headship has been deliberately varied. As Education Advisor to the UK Parliament’s Youth Violence Commission, he worked closely with policymakers on the realities facing young people. As Consultant Improvement Partner for Haringey Education Partnership and Lead Advisor for the Russell Education Trust, he supported schools and leaders across the system. Alongside these roles he built a successful coaching practice, becoming an accredited Senior Practitioner Leadership Coach and Mentor with EMCC Global and gaining further qualifications including the ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors. His book, ‘The Snowflake Myth’, was published in 2025 and brings his research on Gen Z into one clear resource for leaders. With around forty paid speaking engagements by the end of the year and a growing online following, Alex continues to expand his reach.
People book Alex because he gives leaders practical answers. His talks on recruiting and retaining Gen Z, managing the multigenerational workplace and understanding the motivations of younger staff help organisations reduce turnover and build stronger teams. These issues shape culture, productivity and succession planning, so his guidance speaks to the long-term health of any organisation. Alex’s sessions are clear, engaging and grounded in real experience from the classroom to the boardroom.
Alex Atherton's official speaker topics are listed below:
Recruiting and Retaining Gen Z
Alex explains the priorities, motivations and working styles of Generation Z, helping organisations understand how to attract and keep the best young talent. He shares practical steps to update recruitment methods, improve engagement and close the generational gap. His session equips leaders, HR teams and managers with clear actions that strengthen retention and build a workplace where young staff can thrive.
Managing the Multigenerational Workplace
With workplaces now spanning more than fifty years in age range, Alex shows how to turn that diversity into a strategic advantage. He guides audiences through common friction points, communication challenges and cultural differences, offering practical tools that strengthen teamwork and improve productivity across all generations.
Understanding Gen Z
Drawing on original research and years of leadership experience, Alex outlines the core traits of Gen Z and how organisations can work with their expectations. He covers communication preferences, career goals, values and management needs, giving leaders straightforward techniques to support succession planning and long-term growth.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Alex's preparation for our audience was outstanding. He delivered an engaging, insightful session that really connected with our audience." - Janet, Director, Office Products International
"Coaching with Alex has been a transformative experience. I’ve gained leadership skills, confidence and motivation." - Elena, Recruitment Director
"I always leave sessions feeling clear and capable. The coaching has been massively beneficial." - Patsy, CEO
"Working with Alex helped me structure my thinking and grow my business with confidence." - Guner, Business Owner
"Alex is well versed in the challenges and opportunities for Generation Z. A great source of knowledge that businesses need to appreciate and act upon to secure their workforce of the future. A focused, articulate speaker delivering a practical session full of value and information to act upon." – Paul, Family Business United
"I was so inspired and as a Gen Z about to start my first leadership role, you helped me feel heard, valued and listened to. I found myself nodding with everything you said." – Newly Promoted Gen Z Employee
"The sessions were very well received, interesting, thought provoking and relevant to an industry that struggles to recruit and retain young staff. We received a significant amount of positive feedback, many of whom are actively implementing Alex’s suggested strategies." – Phil, Muller
"Alex’s session proved to be perfectly tailored to our context and challenges. We’ve already made valuable adaptations to our interview processes and transition into the training stage. Anyone involved in recruitment or training will find the content fascinating. Alex provides tangible and actionable suggestions for positive change." – Polly, KMT
"The talk for our managers was enlightening. It challenged my thinking around engaging and motivating the younger generation. Alex’s insights broadened my perspective. I highly recommend him for his knowledge and ability to shed light on the nuances of Gen Z behaviour." – Alex, Central Tyre
"Alex’s preparation was outstanding. From the first conversation it was clear how much thought and experience he brings. He delivered an engaging session that really connected with our audience and brought great energy to the stage." – Janet, Office Products International
"Alex is an engaging and energetic speaker who brought together conference themes with his own experience, creating an enjoyable and thought provoking after dinner speech." – Sophie, Solace
"Your presentation made a big difference to our conference. Since your talk we have made a lot of changes. The feedback shows it is working." – Andrew, Pathfinder
"It was the best talk across both days of the conference. You made a complex topic feel simple. I’ve already started putting your advice into action. I was inspired; it made such a difference." – Conference Delegates
"The talk was a real eye opener and very much needed. Our world is full of middle class, white, male dinosaurs. We would love to change that." – Rich, Land & Wave
"Alex went down very well with our audience. He was very thought provoking which is exactly what we wanted." – Richard, Legal & General
"Alex offered a thought provoking insight. His engaging style and background as a headteacher grounded his message in real experience and genuine respect for young people. He was the highest rated external speaker at the event, with 94% rating him good or excellent." – Kate, NAFD
"Very well presented and thought provoking. Our audience was engaged and left with clear ideas for working with Gen Z. The feedback has been great. We liked that you stayed afterwards to talk to people as they approached you with ideas." – Gemma, JVN
"That was so insightful. Your talk was so practical; I have things I can now go and do. Lots to think about. That was brilliant." – ASCL Representative
"It’s been a long time since I listened to a talk and found myself making so many notes. The session was extremely informative and thought provoking. Alex speaks with passion and is clearly well informed. I was so impressed I asked him to keynote at our annual conference." – Graham, Gateway HR
- 2025 - Winner at the Speaker Awards
- 2025 - Publication of ‘The Snowflake Myth: Explaining Gen Z in the Workplace and Beyond’
- 2021 - Senior Practitioner Leadership Coach and Mentor at EMCC Global
- 2021 - Practitioner Certified Team Coach at EMCC Global
- 2021 - ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors
- 2020 - Foundations Certified Team Coach at EMCC Global
How to hire Alex Atherton
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Alex Atherton for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
