Available to book
Ian Hawkins
Ian Hawkins helps leaders speak with clarity and connect with audiences in the AI era. A storytelling and communication speaker, he coaches executives at Netflix and has worked with McLaren, Adidas, Tesco, and the NHS.
Ian Hawkins is a storytelling and communication expert who shows leaders how to connect with people, hold a room, and lead with authenticity in the AI era. He's the speaking and storytelling coach for Netflix.
After university, Ian wrote for BBC comedy shows including The News Quiz and Loose Ends, then became an agent at the UK's largest speaker bureau, where he closed two of its five biggest deals. He's performed stand-up on both sides of the Atlantic, studied improv at New York's UCB Theatre, and worked as a business journalist on films for BBC World, Reuters, and CBS. He co-wrote the Amazon bestseller Insider Secrets of Public Speaking.
That mix gives Ian a practical view of how communication solves business problems, from staff turnover and change management to crisis communication. He advises CEOs, cabinet ministers, and international speakers, and his clients include McLaren, Adidas, and Elexon. He also moderates and hosts events, from Chatham House roundtables to major conferences.
Audiences leave with a three-rule framework for communicating as a leader, techniques for cutting through noise and building trust, and the confidence to use their own stories. His own story began with a rare congenital heart condition that historically killed nine in ten patients before adulthood, and sparked his interest in how personal narratives shape our lives.
Book Ian for an interactive, funny session built on tools your leaders can use straight away.
Topics, sessions and talks
Ian Hawkins challenges outdated conventions of public speaking by revealing what truly drives connection and influence. With energy and wit, he explores how great communicators engage, inspire and lead through authenticity rather than performance. Drawing from his experience coaching global leaders and writing for top broadcasters, Ian reframes speaking as a key leadership skill. Audiences gain a toolkit of practical insights, fresh thinking and the confidence to speak with purpose, and lead with impact.
Leaders in the AI age will be the ones who know how to connect with people and inspire them to be more human. Ian Hawkins delivers an entertaining, interactive masterclass in communication and storytelling, built around three simple principles that change how people speak, listen, and lead. Drawing on his background in stand-up, scriptwriting, and journalism, Ian keeps the room involved throughout. Audiences leave with a practical framework for communicating with clarity, building trust, and leading with authenticity.
Stories are the software that human brains run on. Ian Hawkins draws on the worst six months of his life, and the journey of adventure it set him on, to explore resilience, achieving goals, and finding resolution when things fall apart. Blending humour with candour, Ian shares what he learned along the way about picking yourself up and pressing on. Audiences come away motivated, with practical ways to move forward. Contains material about bereavement, substance misuse, and mental health.
Ian Hawkins takes the audience back to the moment he was surrounded by four strangers on a dark street, one of them carrying a knife. This gripping twenty-minute talk reveals how the principles of storytelling and communication saved his life and allowed him to walk away from a terrifying encounter. Ian shows how the same skills apply in everyday situations. Audiences leave with a new appreciation of the power they hold to influence outcomes, even under extreme pressure.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Ian Hawkins, email ian.hawkins@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Ian's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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