Matt Garman was the talent most people looked past. With just a single qualification in a family of academics, he was written off by all of the conventional measures. That was until someone recognised his real capability and gave him a chance to prove it. He went on to grow two technology companies of his own, one to a Private Equity exit, row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and swim the English Channel. Matt's story is proof of what can be unlocked when real capability is recognised and backed.
Most businesses sit on untapped capability because they fail to look beyond the surface of CVs, universities and past job titles. His audiences leave with something practical: the ability to recognise where real leadership is already hiding in the people who step up without being asked, who solve problems without permission, who've been forged by real pressure and genuine stakes. Leadership can use it for succession planning, managers can use it to develop their teams and every person in the room will secretly recognise their own hidden capability. By developing people from within, you not only create more leaders, but you strengthen their sense of belonging, retain more top talent and attract better people. As AI continues to reshape our roles, growing human potential becomes the true differentiator.
Hidden Diamonds isn't theory. It's a practical, honest way of seeing your people differently, building on real experiences and the kind of direct, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that create genuine change.
Matt's sessions are personal, practical and deliberately vulnerable. He tells stories that people recognise from their own experience, and he leaves audiences not just motivated but genuinely clearer on where their real leadership is hiding and what's been getting in the way. He is a regular podcast guest and is the author of three books: An Unconventional Journey Into Leadership, Learning the Ropes, and Why So Many Sales Hires Fail.
Books
Why So Many Sales Hires Fail - Thinking Differently About Sales People
Learning the Ropes: Achieving Sustainable Sales Performance Regardless of Changes in Personnel
An Unconventional Journey Into Leadership
Matt Garman's official speaking topics are listed below:
Hidden Diamonds: The Leaders You're Missing
Most organisations pay premium rates to hire external leaders when the capability they need is already inside. Why? Because they don't recognise it. This keynote shows where real capability actually lives and how to see it before you spend money looking elsewhere.
Through real stories from building and selling companies, navigating pressure at scale, and mentoring emerging leaders, audiences learn to recognise the people who could step into leadership if given clarity and support. You'll leave with a practical framework for seeing past credentials to what someone has actually proven about themselves.
Available as: 45-minute keynote and an optional 3-hour interactive workshop.
Hidden Diamonds: The Colleague You Haven't Really Seen
You work with capable people every day. People who've recovered from setbacks. People who solve problems without being asked. People who carry real influence without formal authority. But because they don't fit the conventional mould, most organisations miss them.
This keynote challenges teams to recognise the capability already sitting in the room. What actually matters when assessing someone's readiness to lead. How to create an environment where real capability emerges. Stories from business, from the Atlantic, from real people in real situations make it concrete. Teams leave understanding: the person you need to develop might already be on your payroll.
Available as: 45-minute keynote and an optional 3-hour interactive workshop.
Don't Lose the Map
Maybe it's a map you can't fully read, a team member you haven't tested yet, or a destination you're not sure about, sound familiar? That's the feeling every entrepreneur and founder has on day one. The difference is, most business leaders forget they're on an adventure. The map gets buried under spreadsheets and the relentless noise of running a company.
Matt takes audiences on a quest to find Treasure Island. Identifying the map, choosing the crew, addressing a potential mutiny. Finally, you sight land and ask whether the treasure was what you thought it was. Every stage is brought to life through unconventional leadership lessons from building and selling two businesses and rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. But the power of this talk is that your audience starts mapping their own journey alongside it. They see where they have drifted, where the crew needs attention, and what the treasure actually looks like for them.
Available as: 45-minute keynote.
Building Your Internal Leadership Pipeline
Your leadership team works through a practical framework for recognising capability you've been overlooking. You identify who's ready to step up and why. You create a clear development plan. You build succession planning into how you operate.
These workshops are often booked as follow-ups to keynotes, or as standalone half-day to full-day sessions for leadership teams preparing for growth, exit, or succession.
Speaking to Young People
Young audiences hear a frank, honest account of what happens when you reject the conventional path. But more importantly, they learn to recognise themselves as Hidden Diamonds in the making. Create clarity about who you really are, not who you think you should be. The challenges they've faced are pressure that's shaping them and revealing their character. The setbacks they've survived are evidence of their real worth. Life is already teaching them how to lead. Exam results don't dictate capability, real pressure and real choices do.
All required protocols are adhered to at all times.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Matt recently kicked off a conference with his keynote address, and I was truly impressed by the energy he generated in the room and his ability to connect with the audience. His professionalism shone through as he carefully considered the brief and dedicated time before the event to ensure his presentation was focused, engaging, and packed with actionable takeaways. I wholeheartedly recommend Matt for future events and we’re really looking forward to collaborating with him on upcoming projects." - Mike, Director, MJP Media & Events
"I met Matt in my role as the host and MC of a business leaders speakers' conference. Matt was a pleasure to work with. He happily engaged with me the previous week when I invited him to a briefing call to talk me through his presentation. On the day, he arrived in plenty of time - so I could double check my introduction, and he could check his slides, and the overall format of the day. Matt kept to time and worked brilliantly to the brief. His talk was well received, authentically delivered with meaningful 'takeaways' for an audience wanting to be inspired and 're-energised', as per the theme of the day. Matt stayed for lunch, fully engaging with me, the other speakers and all our guests. If you want a 'safe pair of hands' speaker with an impressive story, I heartily recommend Matt." - John, MC & Former BBC Journalist
"Matt's a terrific speaker - he's got a great story to tell, delivers it brilliantly and draws out pertinent business and personal messages that really connect with an audience. I saw him deliver his keynote to a room of over 100 business leaders and you could have heard a pin drop as he told his extraordinary story - he really did have the audience in the palm of his hand. His content is focused and relevant and I could see him bringing huge value to a wide range of audiences. Highly recommended." - Steve, MC & Speaker Coach
"After meeting Matt at an event, I knew I wanted to book him for our summer lunch with Rolex. Matt personalised his fascinating talk about rowing the Atlantic, with Rolex taglines that fit seamlessly. Delivered in his unique and engaging style, he hit the spot perfectly with our guests. We all felt like we were in the boat with him, as he described the extraordinary highs and lows as huge as the Atlantic waves he had rowed through. His Q&A section was the perfect wrap up, with many asking questions, because they all wanted to hear more of this amazing adventures." - Ashley, Managing Director, Bruford's/Rolex
"We were delighted when Matt agreed to be our Keynote speaker at our 3rd annual Diamond Alumni VIP Lunch. Matt was fun and easy to talk to in the lead up to the event and then captivating from the very start of his presentation, with everyone listening intently and completely engaged. He blew us all away with his recap of "The Toughest Row in the World". It was inspiring to hear the highs, lows and lessons learnt from his challenging 49-day row across the Atlantic Ocean where his team raised over £100,000 for charity - incredible! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Matt if you are considering him to speak at your event!" - Sally, Managing Director, Gatwick Diamond Business
"Wow, having only just Matt when presenting to our Manufacturing Association on Leadership and Sustainable Sales I can honestly say what an inspirational guy. Matt took a session taking a group through using practical tools and techniques on how to ensure that your sales team delivers constantly. The session promoted self-reflection, challenged current methods and targeted areas of opportunities to create change. Thanks Matt, that will stay with me throughout the rest of my career, and I will ensure that it gets passed on." - Jason, Managing Director, HSM Manufacturing
- 2026 – International Keynote Speaker
- 2025 – Cycled America (raised £7,200 for charity)
- 2024 – Published ‘An Unconventional Journey into Leadership’
- 2023 – Rowed Across the Atlantic Ocean (raised £120,000 for charity)
- 2023 – Keynote and Workshop Speaker
- 2020 – Published ‘Why So Many Sales Hires Fail – Thinking Differently About Sales’
- 2018 – Published ‘Learning the Ropes’
- 2017 – Swam across the English Channel (raised £5,600 for charity)
- 2012 – Exited Technology business in Private Equity sale
How to hire Matt Garman
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Matt Garman 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.
