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Transform organisational culture with Professor Damian Hughes, speaker and high-performance psychology expert. Damian works with elite teams to develop leadership excellence and change management strategies, delivering acclaimed insights through bestselling books and his popular High-Performance Podcast.

Trusted by British Gas, John Lewis

Damian Hughes
Damian Hughes

Damian Hughes

London, United Kingdom

Typical fee range

£11k–25k

This is an estimated fee range for local in-person events. Location and format affect the final fee.

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Damian Hughes

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London, United Kingdom

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£11k–25k

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+44 203 835 2929

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Damian Hughes's biography

At a glance

  • International speaker and author in sports and organisational development
  • Co-host of The High Performance Podcast
  • Professor of Organisational Psychology and Change at Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Damian Hughes is a highly regarded international speaker and bestselling author renowned for his expertise in sport, organisational development, and change psychology. With a unique combination of practical experience and academic knowledge, he assists organizations and teams in creating a high-performance culture.


Professor Damian has written eight highly acclaimed business books, which have gained widespread popularity. His innovative coaching approach has garnered praise from esteemed individuals such as Sir Richard Branson, Muhammad Ali, Sir Terry Leahy, Sir Roger Bannister, Tiger Woods, Jonny Wilkinson, and Sir Alex Ferguson.


Recognizing his exceptional contributions, Damian was appointed as the Professor of Organisational Psychology and Change at Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2010. In addition to his academic pursuits, Damian co-hosts The High-Performance Podcast, a widely acclaimed series of interviews with elite performers from various domains, including business, sport, and the arts. Through these interviews, he delves into the psychology behind sustained high performance, providing valuable insights to listeners.


Currently, Damian serves as a coaching team member for both the Scotland Rugby Union and the Canberra Raiders, further showcasing his expertise and commitment to enhancing performance in the sporting arena.

Prof. Damian's showreel and videos

Topics, sessions and talks

Unlocking The DNA Of A High Performing Culture

Damian Hughes explores the key elements that define a high-performing culture, blending insights from sports, psychology, and organizational development. Discover the core components that drive success, resilience, and sustained performance. Learn how to foster an environment where excellence thrives, and individuals and teams consistently reach their full potential.

The Winning Mindset

Drawing on his extensive research and experiences with elite performers, Damian Hughes reveals the psychology behind a winning mindset. Understand the habits, attitudes, and mental strategies that distinguish champions from competitors. Gain practical tools to cultivate resilience, focus, and confidence, and learn how to apply these principles to achieve your own personal and professional goals.

The Business Of Winning And Sustaining Success

Damian Hughes delves into the dynamics of winning and sustaining success in business and sport. Discover the secrets behind building winning teams and maintaining peak performance. Learn actionable strategies for creating a culture of continuous improvement, adaptability, and excellence, ensuring that your organisation not only reaches the top but stays there.

How To Change Absolutely Anything

Based on his bestselling book, Damian Hughes provides a powerful framework for implementing change in any area of your life or organisation. Understand the psychology behind change resistance and discover practical steps to overcome obstacles, build momentum, and achieve lasting transformation. This keynote offers actionable insights for anyone looking to drive meaningful change.

High Performance Lessons

From his book “High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best” and his acclaimed podcast, Damian Hughes shares invaluable lessons from elite performers across business, sports, and the arts. Learn what it takes to perform at your peak consistently and gain insights into the habits, routines, and mindsets of those who excel in their fields.

Why we recommend booking Prof. Damian

Professor Damian Hughes offers your team or business the unique opportunity to learn from a world-renowned expert in high-performance culture. Gain actionable insights from his blend of academic knowledge and practical experience, proven to inspire and transform leaders like Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Trusted by British Gas, John Lewis

Testimonials

We used Damian as our main speaker at our conference in 2009, he made such a lasting impact on the attitude and behaviours of managers that we invited him back in 2010. The nervousness in using a speaker two years in a row is that they say the same things just differently. Certainly not the case with Damian, he listened to what we needed the outcomes to be, took time to understand the business situation and put together a session that hit the spot. I found Damian refreshing, innovative and massively motivational, the content of his presentation was relevant and business focussed and engaged all of our managers. I would definitely look to use Damian again for our management conference.

Claire Buckingham

Personnel Manager, John Lewis

Damian has a really rich experience across many sectors. His involvement with leading sporting organisations provides an insight, outside of the normal business environment, that challenges the way that individuals approach change and deliver winning results through the team. Damian always scores highly in feedback. People will leave these sessions really challenging themselves on what they need to do differently to deliver success. His communication of the key points is enhanced by the use of many different media.

David Goadby

Sales Director, British Gas

Damian helped us in shaping a successful, vibrant and inspiring conference. He affiliates with the audience and he was able to adapt his speech to the target as well as to our specific needs. He was brilliant in connecting our purpose of the meeting (Teamwork, personal responsibility, future orientation) to clear outstanding examples. Feedback from our people confirmed a positive feeling.

Federico Sarzi Braga

Country Business Manager, Nestlé

Featured Projects

Damian Hughes - High Performance book cover
Damian Hughes - The Winning Mindset book cover
Damian Hughes - High Performance podcast cover

frequently asked questions

Something we've not covered here?

How do I book Damian Hughes for my next event?

To book Damian Hughes, email prof.damian.hughes@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 Prof Damian'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.

What is Damian Hughes's speaking style like?

Damian Hughes draws on case studies from elite sport and business, combined with findings from his research in organisational psychology, to illustrate the behavioural and cultural conditions that underpin high performance. He structures sessions around practical frameworks that audiences can apply directly to team development and individual performance.

What topics does Damian Hughes specialise in?

Prof. Damian Hughes specialises in high-performance culture, winning mindset psychology, and sustaining success across business and sport. He is Professor of Organisational Psychology and Change at Manchester Metropolitan University and co-hosts The High Performance Podcast.

Does PepTalk charge a booking fee?

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.

What happens after I send a brief?

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.

What does the typical fee range mean?

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.

Have all the speakers on the website worked with PepTalk before?

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.

How far in advance should I book a speaker?

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.