Neil Laybourn

Neil Laybourn is a renowned and highly sought-after health and wellbeing expert and public speaker, having been invited to deliver talks and seminars to hundreds of well-known brands and organisations worldwide. Now the Founder of Neil Laybourn Consultancy, a leading consultancy that empowers mental wellbeing in the workplace, Neil’s passion for understanding mental health stems from his own profound experience of instigating a suicide intervention on London Waterloo Bridge having witnessed a stranger attempting to take their life in 2008. Six years later, Neil was reunited with ‘the stranger’, Jonny Benjamin, through the power of social media and they have remained firm friends ever since. In 2014, Neil’s role in the suicide intervention was recognised through a Pride of Britain award, and the following year, Channel 4 told this powerful story in the award-winning ‘Stranger on the Bridge’ documentary, which reached millions of viewers.

Neil’s career began in the fitness industry in 2007 when he worked as a Personal Trainer. In 2009, he launched his own business, providing bespoke personal training services to city workers, hosting group fitness sessions and running residential wellbeing retreats. Neil successfully merged his intrigue for understanding mental health with his experience in fitness in a unique way, enabling him to empower his clients to make positive changes. Neil transitioned from personal training to being a leading UK mental health advocate in 2017, visiting Europe and the USA to deliver talks on the importance of mental health. Soon after, he founded 'This Can Happen' – an innovative mental health conference tackling challenges in the workplace and bringing solutions to employers and leadership teams.

This was made possible due to Neil’s connections with influential industry leaders, business figures and personal support. His involvement with the royals’ ‘Heads Together’ movement – a powerful and globally reaching public mental health campaign – led to the conference receiving royal support from HRH the Duke of Cambridge and the royal household. More recently, Neil co-founded the charity Beyond Shame Beyond Stigma; a mental health education charity supporting young people, and became the proud Director of Mental Health at Work.

Their primary objectives are reducing suicides, self-harm and stigma by improving and enhancing mental health support and information for young people, their families and educators. His international advocacy work globally has involved visiting workplaces, universities, schools and public sector organisations. In 2018, Neil was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Bristol University in recognition of his mental health campaigning and advocacy work. Neil continues to work and advise on health and wellbeing, predominantly in the private sector, helping organisations to recognise, develop and implement effective health and wellbeing strategies locally and internationally within their own ranks. Neil has completed over 250 keynote speaking events to date, with Champions Speakers proudly representing Neil Laybourn as an official speaker agent. He is very proud of his official ambassador status with the charity Mental Health UK, with whom he continues to collaborate on many meaningful mental health initiatives.

Watch our Senior Content Executive, Megan Lupton, conduct an exclusive interview with Neil Leybourn and Jonny Benjamin, over on the Champions Speakers YouTube channel. In addition, Neil Laybourn has recently been selected as one of the most Popular Keynote Speakers for World Mental Health Day - a testament to his story of saving Jonny Benjamin's life.