Susannah Townsend is a field hockey player who plays in midfield for both Great Britain and England. She was pivotal in Great Britain acquiring a gold medal during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Since her international debut in 2008, Susannah has earned 188 caps representing England and Great Britain. Now spending a lot of time as an Olympic speaker, she often reflects on the drive and determination required to be an elite hockey player.
After performing at the highest level for several years, Susannah was awarded the Hockey Writers' Club Women's Player of the Year in 2014 after performing exceptionally well throughout the year. She continues to perform to the highest standard and is a pivotal player within England's squad. Now being one of the more experienced players in the squad, Susannah is seen as one of the leaders in the group. She often reflects on the importance of teamwork and leadership throughout her time as an after-dinner speaker and can explain how vital it is to businesses as well as sports teams.
Susannah possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Exercise Management from the University of Kent. In addition to her stellar career in hockey, she has also been Chief of Staff for Team England during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She co-founded All One Media and has also served as Head of Growth at Evolve – a leading agency in the recruitment and engagement space.
Susannah has played hockey at an international level for over ten years and in 2017 was appointed MBE for her services to hockey. She professionally conducts herself and is considered a well-rounded, respectable individual. She often discusses her playing career, as well as vital business-related subjects like overcoming adversity and maximising success. Possessing great speaking skills, Susannah is one of the most highly sought-after Olympic speakers on the after-dinner circuit.
Most recently, Susannah Townsend was inducted into the Best International Women's Day Speakers to Hire, recognising her achievements as a highly respected athlete.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Susannah was fantastic. She spoke extremely well. Through powerful anecdotes and real-life experiences, she not only conveyed the importance of resilience, discipline and hard work, but also emphasised the significance of embracing one's unique voice and individuality." - Mr Kenneally, Assistant Headteacher, Trinity School
"Susannah was amazing - hugely relevant and very personable! Great energy - the team thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her journey, but also freely answering our questions. Rest assured - we'll be in touch for future events..." - Chris, CEO, WeShape
"Susannah is a brilliant speaker, she spoke from the heart and what she said resonated with a lot of things that we have to deal with ourselves in our work. She called out kindness and empathy, as well as active listening, being present and talking openly & honestly which align to our values. I think for a virtual speaker we had an expectation and it was definitely more engaging and inspiring than we were expecting. Really pleased we chose Susannah. From a logistical standpoint, it was a great experience!" - Julie, Highways England
"All I can say is Susannah was excellent! She gave a full and frank account of her journey into intentional hockey, including the low points which showed our girls that it’s not all plain sailing even at that level. She spoke very eloquently, without any visual aids, but never once hesitated or lost her train of thought. The audience were fully engaged with her and were totally fascinated to be hearing a genuine ‘behind the scenes’ account of what it’s like to work for and ultimately win an Olympic gold medal. She was brilliant and I would highly recommend her." - Alex, Bromley High School
"Susannah was incredible! The feedback on her was incredible, she was so warm and welcoming, and it felt like she fit into the carwow family! She stayed very flexible with our requests and we would 100% use her again in the future." - Zaina, Culture & Inclusion Manager, Carwow
- 2022 – Chief of Staff, Team England, Commonwealth Games
- 2022 – Head of Growth, Evolve
- 2021 – Ambassador and Special Projects Director, D&G Group UK
- 2020 – Co-Founder, All One Media
- 2016 – Olympic Gold Medallist at the Rio Olympic Games
- 2014 – Recipient of the Hockey Writers Club Women’s Player of the Year award
- 2012 – Olympic Bronze Medallist at the London Olympic Games
- Earned a total of 188 Caps representing England and Great Britain
How to hire Susannah Townsend
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Susannah Townsend 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.
