Our 2022 Highlights

Nasser Hussain OBE &Chris Woakes

In April, we booked former England captain, Nasser Hussain, and current England international, Chris Woakes, for MBN Promotions’ Pride of St George Sporting Lunch. The event took place at the Brewery in London, and Nasser and Chris took part in a live Q&A. They were joined at the event by former England Rugby international, Jeremy Guscott, and Boxing icon, Ricky Hatton. 

Nasser’s exceptional batting skills led him to play 96 Tests and 88 ODIs for his country. He scored more than 30,000 runs in total, including a historic 207 in the 1997 Ashes, and is regarded as one of the most talented batsmen of his generation. He now works as a popular pundit and commentator and is among the most sought-after cricket speakers on the circuit. Likewise, Chris played for England in Tests and ODI’s, representing them for over a decade, and achieving huge success. Most notably, he was a part of the team who won the 2019 Cricket World Cup on home soil. 

Nasser and Chris were ideal choices for the event and answered a whole host of questions in front of a packed-out audience, sharing insightful and witty stories from their careers. 

Brad Burton & Tim Peake – Starkey

In May, we helped to book former Apache pilot and current European Space Agency Astronaut, Tim Peake, and the UK’s number one motivational business speaker, Brad Burton, for hearing aid manufacturers, Starkey. The conference took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and brought together some of Starkey’s key customers. Tim and Brad conducted inspirational keynote speeches at different times throughout the conference, engaging the audiences with their captivating experiences.

Tim spent over 100 days living on the International Space Station and made history by running the London Marathon from space in 2016. He was a Captain in the Military for the Royal Green Jackets and then as a qualified pilot. Tim beat more than 8,000 applicants to earn one of just six places in the ESA’s astronaut training programme. 

Brad has worked as one of the industry’s most popular business speakers over the years, providing speeches for global brands like JCB, Costa, Bentley and the NHS, to promote success.

As both inspirational and motivational speakers, Tim and Brad didn’t fail to deliver. With a wealth of experiences and track-record for delivering powerful keynotes, they were exceptional at the event, earning rave reviews from delegates.

Michael Vaughan OBE – MBN

In June, we helped MBN Events book Michael Vaughan, one of the most successful England cricket captains of all time, for their Captain’s Lunch at the Brewery in London. Michael took part in a Q&A alongside fellow England Cricket captain Alastair Cook, and England Rugby legends Mike Tindall and Martin Johnson. Sky Sports broadcaster, Alex Payne hosted the event and coordinated the afternoon’s Q&As. 

Michael led his country to a record 26 Test victories, including the historic Ashes victory in 2005. He scored more than 5,000 test runs and since retiring has become a popular Cricket broadcaster both in the UK, and abroad.

As a sporting legend and former international captain Michael was perfectly suited for the line-up, as he wowed the audience with his experiences and humorous anecdotes from his career. 

Ian Woosnam OBE – Mola TV

In June, we worked with Indonesia’s leading media network, Mola TV, to arrange for golfing legend Ian Woosnam to take part in their golf event and evening dinner at Jakarta’s famous Royale Jakarta Golf Club. Ian played a round of Golf with competition winners and VIPs, and attended a relaxed dinner, where he took part in a Q&A answering audience questions.

As well as winning the Masters in 1991 Ian starred on the PGA and European Tours throughout the 1980s and 90s. He has won five Ryder Cups and, in 2006 captained the European Ryder Cup team. 

For a golfing event, with his stellar career and titles, Ian was perfect. He was approachable to guests and fully immersed himself in the event, taking part in various activities over the course of the weekend.

Mark Foster – Birmingham Law Society

In July, we worked with Birmingham Law Society and provided swimming legend, Mark Foster, as the keynote speaker for their event at the University of Birmingham. Mark delivered a keynote speech for guests at the event, focussing on his career, and in particular, diversity and inclusion.

Mark was one of Britain’s greatest swimmers, who won countless World Championship medals. He also became an inspirational LGBT+ role model when he openly came out as gay in 2017. Mark is additionally a familiar face on British TV, and specifically as a broadcaster and pundit on some of swimming’s biggest events, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Having been in the public eye when he revealed his sexuality, Mark was excellent in relaying his experiences of the response that this had. He advocated the importance of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life, drawing specifically on his own journey. 

Sven Goran-Eriksson – Boyle Sports & Genting Casino

We organised for one of the most recognisable football managers in history, Sven Goran-Eriksson, to take part in a series of interviews for BoyleSports and Genting Casino. Sven did eight thirty-minute interviews via video call which included him providing his insights and thoughts on the current World Cup. BoyleSports and Genting Casino then used the content of the interviews to form a press release and circulate the content to Football media. 

Sven is arguably best known as a former manager of the England national team from 2001-2006. He also spent time managing some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Manchester City, Roma, Benfica, and Lazio. Currently, Sven works as an advisor at the Swedish club IF Karlstad.

As a Football legend, Sven was perfect for the brief as could use his experiences to put himself in the shoes of the current managers, and thus offer his predictions and expectations for the current tournament.

Jo Salter MBE – Shoosmiths

In September, we helped source Britain’s first-ever female fighter pilot, Jo Salter, as the motivational, high-performance speaker, for Shoosmiths’ Away Day. The event took place at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Jo delivered a speech and took part in an interactive Q&A.

Jo is a former RAF pilot, who has been behind the controls of a Tornado GR1 whilst flying through the airspace. She was the first woman in British history to operate the Tornado ground attack aircraft, and she frequently took part in military missions. This includes flying from Turkey and Saudi Arabia to protect no-fly zones over Iraq.

Having had such an inspirational career, Jo was the perfect choice for this event. She showcased how achieving your goals can be possible even if against the odds, and that hard work and determination can help you reach the top of your profession.

Ugo Monye – MBN Events

In October, we booked former international Rugby legend, Ugo Monye, for MBN Events’ Rugby Speaker of the Year Lunch at the Brewery in London. Ugo starred alongside both Jason Leonard and Ben Kay; mingled with guests; and shared his funny anecdotes and career highlights. The aim of the lunch was to crown their ‘Rugby Speaker of the Year’.

Ugo spent 13 years at Harlequins, where he won one league title and two European Challenge Cups. Since his retirement in 2015, he has established a reputation as one of the most insightful voices on the sport, working as a pundit and presenter on BT Sport’s coverage of top-flight Rugby.  Ugo has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, and in 2021 was named as a new team captain of the revamped A Question of Sport.

Drawing on his experiences from both his playing days and his media career, Ugo was able to offer insight into what it takes to be an international rugby professional.

Jason Leonard OBE – Battersea Ironsides

In October, we provided former England Rugby Union player, Jason Leonard, for Battersea Ironsides Rugby Clubs’ annual dinner. Jason took part in a Q&A format for the evening and drew on his career and experiences of being an international. As always, Jason took time out for photos and chatted to guests after the Q&A.

Jason is a Harlequins prop, who is also recognised as England’s former most capped men’s player. Whilst playing for England, he made 114 international appearances, and broke several records. He was additionally the first ever front-row to make 100 international appearances and was part of the team that won the test series during their 1998 South African tour.

With a wealth of success and experience, Jason was the perfect choice for this event and guests found him both captivating and entertaining.

Sir Clive Woodward OBE – AIHHP

In November, we booked sporting legend and icon Sir Clive Woodward, for the AIHHP Trade Event. This took place at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, and Clive gave a motivating and insightful speech and later on took part in a Q&A. 

Clive guided England to Rugby immortality and World Cup glory in 2003; and spent 7 years as England’s manager, also leading them to a Six Nations Grand Slam. Prior to his coaching career, he was also an accomplished player in rugby’s amateur era. Clive played for Harlequins, Loughborough, and Leicester Tigers, as well as winning 21 England caps. In 2005, he worked as a Performance Director for the Southampton Football team and became the elite performance director of the British Olympic Association. In the latter role, he was responsible for helping London win the 2012 Olympic bid.

Clive’s expertise in management and leadership proved exceptional for the event, as he was both entertaining and insightful. 

Peter Komolafe – Brit Insurance

In November, we booked one of Britain’s most respected and highly rated financial experts, Peter Komolafe, for The Brit People Forum: Responding to the Socio-Economic Crisis. The event was virtual, taking place via Zoom, and Peter took part in a moderated Q&A panel session with 2 other speakers, focussing on financial resilience. He also prepared a 3-minute intro for the start of the panel discussion. 

Peter returned from Nigeria to the UK at aged eighteen with nothing more than £50 to his name. He slept rough before a kind stranger helped find him temporary accommodation. From here, Peter was able to open a bank account and start searching for employment. He proceeded to climb his way to the executive board of the multinational Fortune 100 company, St James Place, and in 2020 set up his own advisory platform, Conversation of Money. He has provided financial tips in The Express and The Times, as well as appearing on ITV’s Lorraine. Peter additionally featured on Channel 4’s Secret Spenders, sharing spending tips and ways to save money to viewers.

Having experienced financial troubles himself first-hand, Peter was the perfect person to advise on how best to budget and manage money with the increased cost of living. His knowledge in the industry and understanding of peoples struggles made him relatable and sympathetic to the theme of the event, capturing the audience’s attention throughout.

Iain Lee – Nexus

In November, we provided the Education Investor Awards 2022 with broadcaster, writer, and television presenter and stand-up comedian, Iain Lee. Iain hosted the awards, and told a few funny anecdotes for around 5-10 minutes before announcing the winners of the awards. 

A recognisable face on television, Iain took part in the seventeenth series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, and at the start of 2018, was on the breakfast TV show Good Morning Britain. He has also been on Sunday Brunch, a competition presenter on primetime popular shows Lorraine and Loose Women, and a contestant on Celebrity Chase. 

As an experienced host and presenter both on and off the screen, there was no doubt that Iain would make a brilliant host for the awards event. He used his charismatic and witty style throughout, entertaining guests on the night. 

We are proud to have worked with such a brilliant variety of talent and speakers this year, and we’re ever grateful to our clients for trusting us to help them with their events and campaigns. If you’re looking to inspire, motivate or captivate a team or audience, look no further than the talent we have here at Evolve Talent and Speakers.