Chief Executive Officer at Sported UK, Chair Member for the British Basketball Federation, & Appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021

Enquire Now

Chris Grant OBE is renowned as one of the UK’s leading facilitators of organisational change. As the CEO of Sported, he has developed a vast understanding of topics such as peak performance, leadership, and cultivating a diverse workplace culture. Having worked with over 2,000 leadership teams on strategy and performance, Chris’ expertise are admired throughout the industry and is now highly sought-after at speaking engagements internationally.

After graduating from London South Bank University in 1995, Chris began his professional career as a Consultant for DSG International. Recognised for his driven mindset, he gained 9 years of industry experience at the company, whilst also forwarding as the Chair of the Programme Steering Committee at Chip & PIN Programme. Known for directing organisations through change, she was selected to be the Vice-Chair of Trustees for the London 2012 International Inspiration and a Board Member for the Youth Sport Trust in 2009. Utilising his expertise to educate a wider audience, Chris has also fulfilled high-profile roles such as Chief Executive Officer at Sported UK, and an Independent Board Member at Sport England.

Taking the entrepreneurial leap in 2002, Chris became the Proud Owner of 14A Ltd, an organisation which has allowed him to collaborate with clients to share his expertise with a wider audience. A leading authority, he has also become a respected Board Member for FSCB and a Chair Member for the British Basketball Federation, two positions which allow him to share his specialist knowledge to help other professionals as a facilitator. A remarkable professional, Chris was appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021 in recognition of his services to sport.

A sporting icon, Chris Grant OBE is now in high demand to attend a variety of speaking events, including conferences and small group sessions. He continues to lead strategy and planning events in sectors ranging from medical research to property, and to pursue projects, mainly focusing on the power of sport to drive equality and justice in society. When looking to hire an experienced speaker, look no further than Chris.

How to hire Chris Grant

Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Chris Grant 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.

Organisational Behaviour

Enquire Now

** 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.

Chris Grant's official speaking topics are listed below:

A Systems Approach to Beating Racism: Lessons from an Activist in the Boardroom

The slogans, black squares and commissioning of “unconscious bias” training are the easy part. But what happens next, and how can individuals, teams and organisations ensure that, when it comes to racism, they’re part of the solution? In his highly engaging style, Chris sets out a roadmap for change, tapping into his broad and deep knowledge of building effective teams and organisations across many sectors, as well as a lifetime spent navigating the pitfalls and glass ceilings of racial politics in the UK.

I Can See Clearly Now

Making Decisions in Times of Crisis: As thoughts turn to what comes next post-COVID, the volume and importance of decisions needing to be made will continue to grow. Chris draws on examples from this most unusual year, and the insights from his new book “Better Decisions” to offer a startlingly accessible and engaging keynote, full of practical wisdom and useful techniques.

The State of our Industry/Organisation

A Crowdsourced Keynote: Whether “live” or through a screen, the value of any keynote sits in the place where the insights of the speaker meet the experiences and perspectives of the audience. Using a unique approach, developed in contexts as diverse as the European Retail Real Estate conference and the Visionary Conference for UK sight-impairment charities, Chris Grant gathers the views of a cross-section of participants up front by asking 3 very short, simple questions, and then weaves these into an engaging, comprehensive, forward-looking view of the team, organisation, sector or industry in question.

Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events

“I’ve worked with Chris on several occasions with demanding audiences. He brings a quality of 'high energy calm' in his work with audiences, whether that’s as a presenter or a facilitator. He also possesses outstanding facilitation skills and understanding of group dynamics. That’s great, but so what? The 'so what' is that groups he works with are guided into a high energy calm of their own which clears thinking space and helps them get to the nub of what is important for them.” - Claire Stibbon, Head of Culture, UK Sport

“Chris Grant’s practical advice on processes to address diversity blockages, on inclusive messaging and challenging our assumptions, will fuel further conversations and actions on race equality at Saffery Champness.” - Clare Morgan, ED&I Manager, Saffery Champness