Conrad Humphreys

Conrad Humphreys is an experienced leader who has spent over two decades as a professional yachtsman. With a sailing career spanning three round the world races and a business background as a sports marketing consultant and leadership coach.  Trusted as a speaker by the world’s top organisations such as UBS, Microsoft, Pfizer, Airbus and BT, Conrad is renowned for his ability to understand complex business challenges and tailor his presentations to meet every clients needs. His story resonates with his audience leaving them with a simple “tool kit” and a strong sense of belief to go forward and win in difficult circumstances.
Conrad is a triple round the world yachtsman. He competed as the youngest entrant in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (now Volvo Ocean Race). As skipper, he led his team to victory in the BT Global Challenge by dominating the race and winning 4 out of 7 legs. Conrad became the fifth British yachtsman in history to complete the legendary Vendée Globe, single-handed, non-stop around the world without assistance.  Most recently, Conrad was the professional skipper for Channel 4’s Mutiny, the recreation of Captain Bligh’s 4000 mile voyage of survival. Using traditional navigation equipment and surviving off the same meagre rations as Bligh, nine men were cast adrift 35 miles to the south of Tofua near the Kingdom of Tonga in a replica boat. Their mission, to survive and safely navigate across 4000 miles of open ocean to Kupang, Timor and recreate one of the world’s greatest survival stories in British history.

The founder of a sports marketing and event management consultancy that specialises in sailing and outdoor sports, Conrad advises clients in all areas of sports marketing, from sponsorship to employee engagement. He has worked extensively with brands, rights holders and some brilliant creatives. Conrad has an extensive marketing background and a passion for creating innovative, integrated campaigns for brands and rights holders.

His leadership story, ‘Inspiring Leadership, Staying afloat in turbulent times’ has been published by Thomson Learning and is a ground-breaking book looking at the effective leadership lessons from the World’s Toughest Yacht Race.

Speaking Topics –

• Creating a culture for success – leadership lessons from the World’s Toughest Yacht Race
• Reward and Risk – How to create opportunity when others play it safe
• Mindset – Developing personal leadership attributes and strategies to win
• Sponsorship – Why sponsorship can be an effective strategy for building business value

“Conrad’s speech was clear and engaging, he was highly polished and professional.  He referred back to the key themes throughout his speech which provided impact to the audience and allowed them to look at their work challenges in a new way, relating to the ‘Mutiny’ experience.  I can highly recommend Conrad.”  EXPERIAN PROGRAMME

“Your intervention at the KLF was very well appreciated. Thanks so much. It set the scene very well for the Navigating the Matrix session that followed and got people in the spirit of the “game”.  In terms of “scoring” on the feedback forms, your session was rated as 4.7 (out of a possible 5)”  Airbus

“Truly engaging, inspiring and uplifting. Conrad was able to weave Canada Life's business themes throughout and wonderfully complemented my messages on the day”  Group Insurance, Canada Life

“We’ve received excellent feedback from our attendees relating to Conrad’s presentation – they were left feeling motivated and all were captivated for the entire talk. We didn’t allow long enough in the agenda for questions – as there were many questions following the talk – maybe something Conrad highlights to future clients to ensure they allow sufficient time following his talk for attendees to ask questions! We were very satisfied with Conrad’s input to the event and will definitely consider Conrad for future events – many thanks!” Department of Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

“Conrad's presentation was inspiring! His approach to leadership sets an example we should all aspire to and made me remember all the things I know that I should do to build high performing teams. A highly motivated individual, Conrad's passion and enthusiasm are infectious.” Euroclear Group

“Conrad gave a very effective, thought provoking presentation on the challenges faced by his team and the leadership style necessary to achieve results and bring the crew through their adventure to ultimately win the world's toughest yacht race. Highly recommended.”  – BT

“Conrad Humphreys delivered a powerful and highly relevant talk on ‘leadership’, to a group of Ericsson's Next Generation Executives. His style is low-key and engaging and his message is well presented and carefully thought through. What gives his presentation the greatest impact is his own credibility. He 'is the message that he puts across' and that immediately clicks with everyone in the group.”  Ericsson

“Conrad was inspirational… his messages were clearly articulated. The challenges he has faced on the oceans provided a great metaphor for our business conditions”  – LEK Consulting

“Your stories of motivating your team and leading them across the Southern Ocean have left a huge impression on our management team. Well done!”  – Microsoft

“Our senior team remained attentive, competitive, energised and above all took some profound learning back to Motorola. You made a real difference!’  Motorola Leadership University

“The entire team was enthralled throughout Conrad's talk, an exceptional tale which left us very motivated as a team. Highly recommended!”  Natwest

“Your speech was very inspiring and received excellent feedback from all our guests”  Oracle

“Conrad provided the Pfizer team with an inspirational presentation which had the whole audience on the edge of their chairs. An incredible achievement delivered in a moving and emotional way.”  Pfizer

“Your excellent presentation at our conference has proved to be one of the most memorable events of that day. I have no hesitation in recommending yourself in connection with similar events to other organisations.”  PPMA

“Conrad was truly inspiring and left each and every participant mesmerised, both through his stories and style. We would recommend him for any motivational event.”  Sewell Group

Conrad's interview for History.com about the Mayflower voyage – https://www.history.com/news/mayflower-journey-pilgrims-america

Dealing with isolation – https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/solo-sailor-isolation-tips-74904

BBC One, Mayflower 400 – The Countdown