Ben Williams

Ben Williams is a Leadership Coach and Co-founder of FirstBound, an accelerator and investment fund backing veteran-led startups in the UK. Having raised millions across his entrepreneurial ventures, Ben now combines capital, expertise, and hands-on support to help those who’ve served build and scale high-growth businesses. FirstBound provides equity investment alongside intensive coaching to help veterans make the leap from military service to successful founder.

Previously, Ben was CEO and Co-founder of Loopin, an AI-powered coaching platform that transformed how organisations develop leaders and drive employee performance. Combining elite performance coaching with generative AI, Loopin worked with companies including Reed, Farfetch, and JD Sports to deliver real-time, personalised leadership development at scale.

Before building in tech, Ben spent a decade as a Royal Marines Commando, serving on the frontlines in Afghanistan and training the next generation of commandos. His coaching expertise has shaped elite performers across business and sport, from working with Gareth Southgate and the England Football Team ahead of their historic 2018 World Cup run, to developing leadership teams at Meta, HSBC, Volkswagen, and Manchester United.

Ben is the author of Commando Mindset, published by Penguin Business, where he distils the principles of resilience, purpose, and high-performance leadership learned through combat and crisis. His ICE methodology (Inspiration, Courage, Enactment) and ARA framework (Accept, Remove, Adapt) have become foundational tools for leaders navigating change and building accountability.

But Ben‘s most powerful credential is his vulnerability. He openly shares his journey from drug addiction, homelessness, and standing on the edge of suicide to finding purpose in the Royal Marines. This raw honesty about mental health, featured on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast and stages from Web Summit to GB News, has made him a leading voice in workplace wellbeing and the importance of creating psychologically safe cultures where people can be human.

Whether speaking on leadership, mental health, or the future of work, Ben delivers talks that aren’t just inspiring, they’re actionable. He combines the discipline of military training, the commercial reality of building funded startups, and the courage to be unflinchingly honest about the messy, difficult parts of being human.

• Leadership in the Age of Change: Bridging military, sport, and business to lead multi-generational teams.
• Building High-Performance Cultures: From the frontlines to the boardroom, what elite teams do differently.
• The Commando Mindset: Purpose, resilience, and accountability when the stakes are high.
• Mental Health & Vulnerability in Leadership: Why the strongest leaders are the most human.
• The Future of Work & AI: Building tech that amplifies human potential, not replaces it.
• The Founder’s Journey: The brutal reality of startup life and what it takes to build through adversity.
• From Service to Startup: Supporting veterans as they transition into entrepreneurship and high-growth ventures.

“Ben delivered the keynote speech on leadership at my tribute award for the Football Writers Association, post the 2018 World Cup. A powerful speech that had many gripped based on his time in Afghanistan and also the experience he and his team gave to the squad and me when we visited the Commando training centre.”  England manager:

“Ben delivered the most gripping, twisted, inspiring conversation, I have had on my podcast; ever. What a wild, emotional gripping ride you will go on.”  Dragons Den and Diary of a CEO podcast:

“Ben delivered a fantastic talk on leadership, highlighting the importance and power of personal values, inspiring my leadership team in their own thinking, and having a profound impact.”  COO of Sky

“Ben wrote an extraordinary book that inspires people to reach their full potential.”  Jason Fox, star of SAS Who dares wins

“Ben and his team successfully conducted an internationally viewed programme during the summer of COVID. The main aim was to bring a different perspective on overcoming adversity and managing oneself during uncertainty. It was greatly received, gaining a lot of positive feedback which has ultimately led to further work within Facebook”  Head of channel marketing EMEA at Facebook:

“Ben spoke to our entire global GS community on Imposter Syndrome, joining our head of data in a Q & A, to better understand the subject and how people can learn from it. Hearing from a marine who opened up to our people about his own imposter syndrome, was incredibly inspiring”  Head of performance at Gymshark

“Ben has been delivering on several national and international engagement programs and talks for some time now, at the bank. His expertise, knowledge and commitment are the reasons for his success, and why we choose to use him repeatedly.”  Head of HR at HSBC

“I loved every minute of it. Thanks for sharing part of your life with me!” – Harry Kane

“Thank you for your insightful presentation. With mental health being an important topic at the moment it was great to be given a view into how others might be feeling and also to answer questions around our own mental health. Plus, all the other hints and tips on how we can become more efficient in our everyday lives.” – Volkswagen Group

“Unbelievable experience. Ben is extremely diligent, motivated, and professional, with our best intentions at heart throughout.” – Professional Football Manager

“Inspiring, and unbelievably professional.” – Manchester United Ladies’ Manager

“Me personally I have taken so much from the experience and I feel blessed.” – Jermain Defoe

Steven Bartlett. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX51Wwv2GM0&t=172s