Damian Hughes

5 of 5

Damian presented very thought provoking ideas that although based in a variety of theoretical backgrounds could easily be applied to coaching situations. His knowledge of the ways in which people think and respond meant that many of the things he talked about were instantly recognisable and relevant. Having choice at the centre of coaching makes perfect sense; this then means the actions fall into place. The execution is fully informed by the intention. The coaches were able to apply the information both to themselves as individuals but also to the groups that they are working with. His ability to adapt the session and relate to the group, led to a fantastic, rewarding learning environment. Damian had a huge impact on his audience and we have had so much positive feedback already. We will be asking him back for future events and would recommend him very highly. Thank you Damian.

Lucy Rowe, Talent Pathway Coach DeveloperEngland Hockey

5 of 5

On 7th November 2023, Damian delivered an inspirational talk on “Lessons in Transformation from the World of High Performance” at Manchester Metropolitan University. This was a key note talk, as part of the Faculty of Business and Law’s ‘Week 6: Get Career Ready’ event. This was a three day programme of sessions designed to kickstart student’s career preparation, with Damian participating in the ‘Create’ themed day of our event. This was focused on facilitating creation of career opportunities, through developing networking skills and employability strategies. Damian’s key note talk was a hugely popular session, in which 192 students attended. It was clear to see how inspirational this was for the student attendees, culminating in an engaging Q&A section following the talk. Students were inspired by this talk and are now able to utilise Damian’s guidance within their own career planning next steps. For example, Damian’s reference to anecdotal case studies to explain ways of approaching problems provided excellent insight. They also provided practical tips to empower students to tackle their own individual obstacles. The faculty careers team and event planning team were honoured to have such an engaging and inspiring talk as a stand out feature of this event.

Luke Clark, Faculty of Business & LawManchester Metropolitan University

5 of 5

Damian provided an interesting, amusing and thought provoking presentation. He kept the audience engaged throughout the session by involving them and providing opportunities for participation and interaction. Damian has a really down to earth attitude and despite his vast experience and knowledge he was very relatable. His anecdotes and experiences working within the third sector were both moving and comical whilst remaining relevant, which provided a really well rounded talk.

Sue Cadd, Innovation ManagerLincoln University

5 of 5

I first experienced Damian and Liquid Thinking some 10 years ago when he delivered on the Leadership Development programme for my previous employer and then subsequently at other occasions such as the CIPD Branch events. His style of delivery and down to earth concepts really resonated with me and I’ve been an avid follower of his work since. When Wigan & Leigh College were looking for someone to engage with for our Leadership Development journey I immediately thought of Damian and was delighted he was able to join us on our annual College Management Team Conference. The excitement and engagement I saw from the management team, both from the pre read of The Winning Mindset and during the Day that Damian delivered, was unprecedented and it was wonderful to see how they related so well to the concepts, as I had done many years ago. Damian’s impact upon the team did not stop at the end of the Day of the Conference and much talk, reflection and reference to Damian’s work continues as the management team grows and aspires on their journey to become outstanding. Thank you Damian!

Wigan & Leigh College

5 of 5

Damian spoke at a recent leadership event. He was the end of day speaker and his insightful, down to earth, plain speaking style kept the whole audience engaged for the entire time he spoke. Damian’s mix of theory and real life examples gave everyone something to think about and provided some easy to try tips for use in everyday life and as the leader of teams. The team who participated in the session were unanimous in their positive view of the content, delivery and practical application of the messages, which fitted perfectly with the key messages from the rest of the event. I would recommend Damian as a speaker who will bring theory to life in an engaging way and who will leave your team talking about it long after the event.

Louise Alford, Director of Business HRBskyB

5 of 5

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 ManagerJohn Lewis

5 of 5

Very rarely in my experience do you speak to people who have attended a one-day Corporate event and phrases such as “extremely thought provoking’, “I am determined to do something with those ideas”, “enjoyed every minute” and “great practical advice” trip off the tongue so readily. This is exactly what happened though, following a session that Damian ran for us about behaviors and developing high performing teams. All who attended seem to have taken something from the session and we’ve already seen tripwires being put in place! Booking Damian for our latest management off-site has been proven to be a very sound decision. Aside from his obvious expertise and enthusiasm for the subject of self development and team dynamics, Damian was able to relate to an office environment and transform what people may think only applies to elite sporting teams, into actions anyone can use and implement.

Richard Bowden, Head of Process & Change ManagementSantander

5 of 5

The day was incredible and honestly, the feedback that we have had on Damian’s session has blown us away. So much so that a group ended up attending his live podcast at the Lowry Theatre a few days later. His words could not have been more relevant and truer to our team and the theme of the day!

Laura GrahamBarrett Dixon Bell

5 of 5

Damian came to speak to a variety of our colleagues. All of the 100 delegates who came along to Damian’s session chose to come along, because they felt they could develop more in the area of being a real Change Catalyst. Every single person who attended absolutely loved the session and really got something from it that will help them in their development journey. We got comments like; “Brilliant, inspirational, fun” (Sarah Bowness – Boots UK) and “I was looking for challenge and a reminder that life’s all about choices and taking responsibility for them. That’s exactly what Damian gave me.” (Rosa DeBalsi – Boots UK). I am so delighted with not only what Damian said, but how he provoked thinking to a wide range of people from senior leaders to colleagues – Damian’s message is relevant to all and I would urge everyone of you to either read his books, watch his videos but even better get to see him in the flesh. A true inspiration and a real thought provoker!

Sarah White, Head of Capability Boots UK

5 of 5

Seven years ago Damian inspired, provoked and challenged me when I attended one of his Liquid Thinking sessions and I have incorporated my learnings from this session into every part of my life personal and professional. Seven years on and Damian has done it again. Using thought provoking and inspiring stories he has challenged and inspired us and more importantly given us a common language with which we all can use. Thank you Damian!

Emma Mirrington, Head of TalentMars Chocolate UK

5 of 5

I’ve known and worked with Damian for a number of years. In particular, I hired Damian to deliver a workshop for me in 2008 with a very challenging set of goals. I needed the workshop to be energising, inspirational, engaging and meaningful for a new team who were starting to work together on improving the culture in their department. Damian worked closely with us building the agenda and helping us plan for maximum impact, and he really delivered on all of what we needed. The day and a half he spent with the team was fun, full of useful and exciting content, and the team came away feeling ready to take on the world! We were able to build very effectively on the time we had spent together – the team members took so much of Damian’s inspiration to heart and left full of ideas and energy to make a success of their work. His approach, style, communication methods, exercises and content are all quite unique – I’ve never seen or worked with anyone else who can bring so much energy and humour while always ensuring the serious and necessary messages get across. The difference that he made to our whole programme was phenomenal and I would highly recommend his approach and services.

Emma Finlay, HR ManagerUnilever