Harriet Beveridge is a renowned keynote speaker, stand-up comedian, executive coach, and current Associate Director at Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?, where she leads impactful performance programmes that help individuals and teams achieve what truly matters. Harriet brings the principles of focus, resilience and purposeful performance to life with clarity, warmth and humour. Known for her engaging delivery and practical insights, she regularly inspires audiences across industries to think differently, act decisively and unlock their full potential.
Harriet began her career as a management consultant at Ernst and Young, where she worked with organisations to solve complex strategic and operational challenges. She then moved into the position of Performance Coach and Principal at RogenSi, where she supported leaders in enhancing communication and behavioural impact. Following this, she served as Executive Director at Talking Talent, focusing on developing inclusive workplace cultures. Harriet is currently an Associate at OneLeap, working with high-performing individuals navigating change. Alongside these roles, she has worked as an executive coach and keynote speaker for over fifteen years, delivering impactful sessions across sectors.
Outside of her corporate work, Harriet has built a rich and varied profile. She co-authored the bestselling 'Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?' with Ben Hunt-Davis and has performed comedy shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and stand-up comedy acts at WOMAD Festival, Bath Comedy Festival and was a Funny Women Award UK semi-finalist. A contributor to BBC Radio 4 and a former Samaritans volunteer, she blends empathy with humour to connect deeply with audiences. Harriet is a trained Mental Health First Aider and holds certificates in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness. She is currently completing an MSc in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health and has raised over £100,000 for charity, demonstrating her passion for making a meaningful difference beyond the stage.
An exceptional keynote speaker, Harriet has the unique ability to weave together science, storytelling and humour. She delivered the TED talk 'Make 'Em Laugh', drawing from her diverse perspectives, including sport, comedy, neuroscience and psychology. She continues to deliver sessions that are thought-provoking, energising and full of practical value. Her talks consistently resonate with audiences, leaving them motivated to take action, work smarter and focus on what truly drives performance.
Books
Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?
Harriet Beveridge's official speaker topics are listed below:
Stand Up and Thrive
- This laugh-out-loud, thought-provoking talk is a refreshingly left-field look at wellbeing. Harriet shares strategies from the world of stand-up comedy to build resilience and sustainable high performance.
- Harriet combines her experience as a mental health practitioner (e.g. Mental Health First Aider, ex Samaritan Befriender), her expertise as a corporate coach helping professionals achieve excellent results and her track record as a comedian (Funny Women Award semi-finalist, Edinburgh Fringe regular) to deliver a uniquely engaging session.
- Delegates will walk away feeling connected and supported, with a renewed spring in their step and tools in their mental health toolkit.
Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?
- This talk shows you how to translate Olympic-winning strategies into everyday success.
- Harriet shares the crew’s methods from the point of view of a huge sceptic (she is NOT sporty!) who’s been won over by hard evidence. Learn how the GB men’s rowing eight went from disaster to Olympic Gold in 2000 and how you can use the self-same strategies to succeed in your business and life.
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events
"Full of praise for the energy and inspiration that you injected" - Mars
"Her sense of humour shone through, she is a wonderful personality and applied her content to fit our audience so it was highly relatable" - Castleton
"Thank you for your session yesterday. The energy in the room was fantastic, and the content really complemented the themes of the day. And most importantly, we've also had so much positive feedback from the group. Hurrah!" - Janine, Head of Marketing, BBC Online
"Absolutely Brilliant!" - Teeside University
"Huge thank you for all the time, thought & energy you gave to this! It was fabulous and very well received by all." - Gemma, MD Kycero
- 2025 - Associate, OneLeap
- 2015 - Keynote Speaker
- 2012 - Co-authored 'Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?'
- 2009 - Executive Coach
- 2009 - Executive Director, Talking Talent
- 2004 - Stand-Up Comedian
- 2001 - Performance Coach & Principal, RogenSi
- 1999 - Volunteer Befriender, Samaritans
- 1995 - Senior Consultant, EY
How to hire Harriet Beveridge
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Harriet Beveridge 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.
