Manley Hopkinson Keynote Speaker

  • Expert on leadership and sustaining high performance
  • Critically acclaimed author, Compassionate Leadership
  • Former naval officer and skipper in the BT Global Challenge round the world yacht race

Manley Hopkinson's Biography

There are a number of strings to Manley Hopkinson’s bow; as an internationally acclaimed and admired inspirational speaker, as a mentor, coach and catalyst for personal, team & organisational transformation, as an accomplished author and as an Executive Board member.

Manley’s strength lies in creating and developing the transformational leadership behaviours needed for people, organisations and sporting teams to perform at a high level, consistently. Aligning leaders, executive teams and the wider community to the strategic intent enables true delegation, leveraged effort, effective decision making and high performance at all levels.

Rather then forcing “ compliance”, the focus is on gaining “commitment” by raising levels of self and team awareness, then aligning personal and organisational values & purpose leading to more effective business and personal relationships.

As an keynote speaker, Manley understands the impact of stories; tapping into that power of story and metaphor to accelerate reflection, discovery and revelation, creates moments of deep understanding, breaking down barriers and leading to lasting transformational behavioural change.

With the core of his talks revolving around his phenomenal experiences, Manley develops the personal themes of fulfilling your and your team’s potential and achieving far beyond your own perceived abilities, as well as drawing on the numerous leadership and team development lessons; give a team a real sense of purpose and direction, motivate and inspire them (lead them) and it is incredible what can be achieved.

Manley was schooled on leadership through a mix of practical and academic. He twice served as an Officer in the Royal Navy, re-joining for the first Gulf War and in between Manley was an Inspector in the Royal Hong Kong Marine Police. In 2000, he was selected as a skipper in the BT Global Challenge round the world yacht race, leading a team of volunteers, including novices, for 9 months in a 32,000 mile journey. Manley continued his adventures as part of the 3-man team that won the inaugural race to the Magnetic North Pole. The team faced polar bear attacks, and sub-zero temperatures, learning huge lessons about both surviving and competing in very difficult circumstances. Their record time of 10 days and 9 hours still stands.

Manley subsequently applies his Leadership experience to great effect designing and delivered successful cultural change programs, and sitting on the Board of a number of organisations globally, including the ATLAS Consortium, Hewlett Packard Defence UK and ,currently, Ark Data Centres, delivering true “high performance cultures”.

In 2014, Manley published “Compassionate Leadership: How to Create and Maintain Engaged, Committed and High-Performing Teams”. In this highly acclaimed, entertaining and hugely readable book, Manley combines the two worlds of business and adventure to encourage leaders everywhere – at work, at home, in sports and mid-ocean – to take a new approach to creating teams of developed, self-aware and committed individuals.

There are three elements to Manley’s “Personal Purpose”:

  • For his work, it is inspire and enable “Compassionate Leadership”-“securing the best for all” as the means for us all to be able to give of our best
  • For his beautiful family and the people around him, it is to provide physically, spiritually & emotionally and so help them to follow their true life’s path.
  • For himself, it is to learn, be fit, have fun, feel fulfilled & enjoy life’s journey!
Read More

Videos of Manley Hopkinson

A moment with..Manley Hopkinson
Getting Your Head in the Right Place - Manley Hopkinson
Winning Discipline: Race to the Pole (2012)
Isolation - Manley Hopkinson

Articles, Media & Podcasts

Books by Manley Hopkinson

Compassionate Leadership

Comments & Testimonials

I can honestly say, that having sat through many many Pre /After Dinner speakers in my time, yours was certainly among the Top 5. Informative, fun and engaging.
Edward Murray CEO, the Omni Group.
Manley Hopkinson is the sort of man you would follow to the ends of the earth. Indeed, many have. A tall, strapping, unstoppably charismatic optimist – the sort that sees rain as “liquid sunshine” – this former naval officer has led expeditions to the North Pole and skippered a yacht crew round the world “the wrong way”, that is, into the winds, as part of the BT Global Challenge. If anyone knows about leadership, he does. Watch him and you know what leadership looks like. Listen to him and you learn what it entails.
Ian Gray TMA Conference

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