Book Simon Hartley for your event
Simon Hartley is one of the most respected voices in elite performance psychology, leadership and high performance. As a keynote speaker, performance coach and founder of Be World Class, he has spent almost three decades helping individuals, teams and organisations perform at the highest level in environments where pressure, uncertainty and expectations are constantly present.
What makes Simon’s perspective unique is the breadth of experience he brings from both elite sport and high-performing organisations. Throughout his career, he has worked alongside Olympic athletes, international sports teams, aviation professionals, polar explorers, special forces and senior business leaders. The athletes and teams Simon has supported have collectively achieved more than 40 world championships and world records.
His work is grounded in a clear and compelling philosophy:
World-class performance is not something reserved for a select few. It comes from applying simple principles with excellence, consistency and discipline over time.
Simon translates these principles into practical lessons that resonate deeply with leaders, teams and organisations facing demanding challenges. His keynotes are designed to inspire reflection, shift perspectives and create meaningful behavioural change long after the event has finished.
Elite performance in demanding environments
Few people understand sustained performance under pressure as deeply as Simon Hartley. Over the years, he has worked in environments where preparation, resilience, focus and teamwork can make the difference between success and failure.
This experience allows Simon to speak with authority on topics including:
- High performance leadership
- Performing under pressure
- Building resilient teams
- Creating alignment and engagement
- Mental toughness and mindset
- Sustaining excellence over time
- Accountability and ownership
- Confidence and self-belief
- Team culture and performance
Simon’s ability to connect elite performance principles to everyday leadership and business challenges makes his presentations highly relevant across industries. Whether speaking to senior executives, leadership teams or emerging talent, he focuses on helping people think differently about what is possible and how they can consistently perform at their best.
His recent clients include organisations and teams such as Fiji Rugby 7s, adidas, Siemens and TotalEnergies.
A calm, engaging and practical keynote speaker
Simon Hartley is known for his calm, thoughtful and engaging speaking style. Rather than overwhelming audiences with complex theory or motivational clichés, he creates an atmosphere that encourages reflection, clarity and practical action.
His presentations combine powerful stories from elite sport and high-performance environments with actionable insights audiences can apply immediately. Simon has a natural ability to simplify complex ideas, making them accessible, relevant and memorable for people at every level of an organisation.
Audiences appreciate that Simon’s keynotes are both inspiring and grounded in real-world experience. He asks better questions, challenges assumptions and helps people uncover practical ways to improve performance individually and collectively.
His sessions leave audiences with:
- Greater clarity around performance and leadership
- Practical strategies for sustaining excellence
- A deeper understanding of mindset and resilience
- Tools for building stronger teams and cultures
- Renewed confidence in what they are capable of achieving
Leadership, mindset and world-class teams
At the core of Simon’s work is the belief that exceptional performance begins with people. High-performing organisations are built by leaders who create alignment, empower individuals and develop environments where teams can thrive consistently under pressure.
Simon works closely with organisations to help leaders strengthen culture, improve engagement and create the conditions for elite performance. His insights are particularly valuable for businesses navigating change, complexity or high expectations.
He challenges audiences to rethink common assumptions around performance and success. Instead of searching for shortcuts or dramatic transformations, Simon demonstrates how sustainable excellence is built through small actions repeated consistently over time.
This practical and realistic approach resonates strongly with organisations looking for meaningful and lasting impact rather than temporary motivation.
Why audiences connect with Simon Hartley
Simon Hartley combines deep expertise with humility, authenticity and genuine insight. Audiences connect with him because his message feels credible, practical and human.
He understands that performance is not simply about talent or ambition. It is about how people respond under pressure, how teams work together and how leaders create environments where people can succeed consistently.
Whether he is speaking to a room of senior leaders, a global organisation or a team preparing for its next challenge, Simon’s focus remains the same: helping people close the gap between where they are today and what they are truly capable of achieving.
Booking Simon Hartley for your event gives audiences the opportunity to learn from one of the leading experts in elite performance psychology and sustainable high performance. His keynotes leave people inspired, challenged and equipped with practical ideas they can immediately put into action.
