Topic: Teamwork

Ralf Schumacher

Ralf Schumacher is one of Germany’s best known sport’s stars, achieving no fewer than six race wins and 27 podium finishes during a Formula 1 career which spanned 11 seasons. Now an expert pundit for Sky Sports Germany, Ralf remains a familiar figure in the Formula 1 paddock and is a highly respected figure within the industry.

Born in Hürth, Ralf is the younger brother of seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, and together they created a memorable era in the sport’s history. The two brothers started karting from a young age at their parents’ go-kart track in Kerpen, with Ralf beginning when he was just three years old.

After a several seasons of karting success, including winning the 1992 German Junior KartChampionship, Ralf moved into car racing. He initially competed in Formula BMW before graduating to Formula 3 where he won the prestigious Macau Grand Prix and finished 2nd in the German F3 Championship, the Monaco F3 race and Masters of Formula 3 event.

In 1996 Ralf secured a seat in the Japanese Formula Nippon Series and became the first driver to win this major domestic championship in their debut season. This led to him testing for McLaren and, the following month, it was announced Ralf had signed a contract with the Silverstone-based Jordan Grand Prix team.

In only his third Formula 1 race, the 1997 Argentine Grand Prix, Ralf scored the first podium of his career and, at that time, became the youngest ever driver to achieve an F1 podium. The following season he added a further two podium finishes, including a record 1-2 maiden win for Jordan behind team mate Damon Hill at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

In 1999 Ralf signed a contract with Williams and would ultimately drive for the team for six seasons. He achieved his first Grand Prix win with Williams in 2001 and picked up two further victories that season, leading to a fourth-placed finish in the World Drivers’ Championship. The following year, he added another win to his tally at the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix, one of only two races that season to not be won by Ferrari.

At the 2003 French Grand Prix, Ralf and teammate Juan-Pablo Montoya delivered a triumphant victory for Williams, finishing first and second respectively. To date, this is the last time Williams achieved a one-two finish.

Between 2005 and 2007 Ralf drove for Toyota’s F1 team, scoring three further podium finishes, the last coming at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.

After leaving Formula 1, Ralf explored several areas of motorsport. He joined the German Touring Car championship (DTM) and competed for five years before becoming a shareholder for Mücke Motorsport and entering into a managerial role. In this position, he has acted as a mentor to young drivers signed with Mercedes-Benz.

Ralf has also ventured into broadcasting and currently works with Sky Sports Germany, while his son David is a successful driver in both junior formulae and sports car racing.

Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit for Sky Sport Italia. A technically gifted and creative supporting forward who was also a free-kick specialist, Del Piero won the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award in 1998 and 2008 and received multiple nominations for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.

A prolific goal-scorer, he is currently the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions, with 346 goals, behind only Silvio Piola, with 390 goals; he is also the joint ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 188 goals, alongside Giuseppe Signori and Alberto Gilardino. After beginning his career with Italian club Padova in Serie B in 1991, he moved to Juventus in 1993, where he played for 19 seasons (11 as captain), and holds the club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). During his time at the club, he won six Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup. After leaving the club in 2012, he also spent two seasons with Australian side Sydney FC; he retired in 2014, after a season with Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League.

Del Piero has scored in every competition in which he has participated. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. In the same year, he was also voted into the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, a list of the 50 best European players of the past 50 years. Along with six awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct, he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality as well as playing ability.

At international level, Del Piero has also represented the Italy national team at three FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Football Championships, most notably winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and reaching the final of UEFA Euro 2000 with Italy. He is the joint fourth highest scorer for the Italy national team, with 27 goals, alongside Roberto Baggio, and behind only Silvio Piola with 30 goals, Giuseppe Meazza with 33 goals, and Luigi Riva with 35 goals; with 91 appearances for Italy between 1995 and 2008, he is also his nation's eleventh-most capped player of all-time. In his career Del Piero scored 462 goals.

Michael Ballack

Retired award-winning German footballer, Michael Ballack is one of the top goalscorers in the history of the German national team. Known best for his dominating presence in midfield along with his powerful shot, physical strength and passing range. Making his professional debut in 1995 following his previous career as a youth at Chemnitz, which was his local team. By 1996 he had already made his debut for Germany's Under-21 side which led to his transfer to FC Kaiserslautern in 1997 where he won his first major honour within the first season, the Bundesliga. During the 1998 and 1999 season Michael had earned his first senior national cap for Germany and became a first-team regular.

By 1999 Michael was a popular well established player who was brought by Bayer Leverkusen for €4.1 million. As a crucial member of the team which finished runner up in the DFB-Pokal, Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League during the 2001-02 season. 2002 was also the year Germany lost to Brazil in the World Cup, however Michaels performance carried the team scoring consecutive game-winning goals in the quarter-final and semi-final. After a €12.9 million move to FC Bayern Munich where he scored fifty eight goals between 2002 and 2006 he eventually joined Premier League club Chelsea. He helped take Chelsea to their first ever Champions League final and win the FA Cup in 2009 and 2010.

Michael has had an impressive football career to say the least and was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA’s 125 Greatest Living Players. He was named the UEFA Club Midfielder Of The Year in 2002 and won the German Footballer of the Year award three times. An international phenomenon, Michael has played alongside two FIFA World Cups and in three UEFA European Football Championships.  Michael makes for one of the best sports speakers on the circuit and can offer insights into 'behind the scenes' football. Whether it's at an award ceremony or sporting function the legendary footballer can discuss a huge range of topics from high performance and maximising success to leadership and teamwork, he is a huge inspiration in the sporting world.

Andrea Pirlo

One of the finest playmakers to have ever played football, Andrea Pirlo was a joy to watch. Known for his remarkable vision, Pirlo was a world-class footballer with a creative streak that set him out as a role model to football fans throughout the world.

Breathtaking at times, Pirlo had a unique ability to control and play a ball with the perfect balance of speed, accuracy and control. In addition to his tremendous skill in open play, Pirlo was one of the finest dead-ball specialists in world football. His ability to pick out the top corner with a dipping and curling free-kick earned him rave reviews.

His quality was recognised on numerous occasions. As an individual, he won over 40 accolades, some of which included entry into the FIFPro World XI in 2006 and the Serie A Team of the Year on four consecutive occasions.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014 he was the Serie A Player of the Year, and he was inducted into the AC Milan Hall of Fame. He was also voted in Juventus' Greatest XI of All Time in 2017. On three separate occasions, he was nominated for the biggest individual prize in football, finishing 9th, 5th and 7th in the race for the Ballon d'Or.

In 2018, he was given a Golden Foot award that recognises players who stood out for their personality and athletic achievements. He was also appointed an Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italian in Italy.

But, as is the character of Andrea Pirlo, his biggest strength on the pitch was in his ability to inspire, to lead and to work for the greater good of the team. Former international coach, Marcello Lippi said of him: "Pirlo is a silent leader. He speaks with his feet". He was affectionately known by fans around the world as "the Architect", "The Maestro", "Mozart" and "the Professor".

Pirlo won Serie A twice, the Champions League twice and both Italian domestic cups once each at his time with AC Milan, becoming a club legend in the process. Pirlo then moved to Juventus, where he once again played a pivotal role in the club's success, winning four successive league titles , which included two league and cup doubles.

At international level, Pirlo was instrumental as Italy landed football's grandest prize, the FIFA World Cup in 2006. He would also help Italy to an Olympic Bronze medal in 2004 and a runner up spot in the 2012 European Championships.

Since hanging up his boots after a successful two-year stint in the MLS with New York City, Pirlo has been a popular presence in the media and at events all over the world. Whether to entertain or inspire corporate audiences or feature as special guest at awards and events - Andrea Pirlo offers a touch of magic.

Robert Pires

Robert Pires is a French football coach and former professional player.

Pires played for French clubs F.C. Metz and Olympique de Marseille prior to his time with Arsenal F.C., where he won two FA Cups and two Premier League titles including the club's unbeaten season of 2003-04. A former France international, Pires earned 79 caps between 1996 and 2004 for his country, including winning both the 1998 FIFA World Cup France (1998) and UEFA Euro 2000 Video Game (2000). He has been included in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, was the Player of the Tournament for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, FWA Player of the Year for the 2001-02 season, Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for the 1995-96 season, and was included in the FIFA 100 by Pelé. He was also voted by Arsenal F.C. fans as the 6th greatest player in the club's history.

Robert Pires played the majority of his career as a left winger, but could also play all across the midfield or in a position to support the forward line. Pires was coaching at Arsenal.

Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer. His main playing position is as an attacking midfielder or forward. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005. Renowned for his technique, tricks, dribbling, overhead kicks, no-look passes and free kicks, Ronaldinho is regarded to be one of the best players of his generation.

"Ronaldinho", the diminutive and term of endearment for "Ronaldo", is accompanied in Brazilian usage by the nickname "Gaúcho", in order to distinguish him from fellow footballer and countryman Ronaldo, who was known as "Ronaldinho" in Brazil beforehand. Ronaldo went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and go by the name Ronaldinho abroad.

Ronaldinho has played 97 matches and scored 33 goals for the Brazil national football team. He was an integral part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning team in Korea/Japan, starring alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, and was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. At club level, Ronaldinho played first for the Brazilian club Grêmio before spending the bulk of his career with European clubs Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, and Milan. He then returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro. With Barcelona, he won La Liga twice, the UEFA Champions League in 2006, and accumulated numerous individual awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005.

Ronaldinho was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé, and to the FIFPro World XI from 2005–2007.

John Foley

What if the legendary Blue Angels Culture of Excellence could be replicated and scaled?

Since 2015, John Foley has been recognized as one of the top 10 most in demand speakers. John has spoken to some of the highest performing organizations in the world such as, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Goodyear, Chevron, Lowe's, Marriott, Hilton, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA, Penske Racing, Sprint, Motorola, Merrill Lynch, Mass Mutual, AMC Theatre, Norton Lifelock, Capital Group, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, GE, American Hospital Association, Mayo, Merck, Palo Alto Networks, Sunovion, Gillette, McDonalds, Stanford Business School, Global Sports Summit, and numerous CEO Summits to name a few.

He is the former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, Bestselling Author of Fearless Success, an expert in the How of High Performance teams and 'The Guru of Gratitude.’ As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour in formations as close as 18 inches apart. To survive in those circumstances, he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership, and teamwork. John employs the intense realities of his aviation career as a metaphor to inspire - breathe life into - teams to reach for their highest potential and sustain excellence under dynamic change. John’s presentations are highlighted by:

  • An energizing delivery that inspires High Performance with a grateful mindset.
  • Awe inspiring storytelling and electrifying video of the legendary Blue Angels in action.
  • A contagious attitude of gratitude that he calls Glad To Be Here®.
  • A unique approach that equips others to take the same journey toward excellence, teamwork, and transformation.

In 2011 John founded the Glad To Be Here Foundation. John donates 10% of his speaking fees to charities through the foundation. The program has donated over $2 million to 380+ charities and impacted thousands of lives globally including sponsoring 47 children in 47 countries. It's part of his mission to connect a shared ‘purpose larger than self’ with every organization.

Philip Beale

Philip is an intrepid explorer, adventurer and leader. By the age of 21 he had participated in two expeditions in the Pacific region and Papua New Guinea, ultimately trekking solo along the north coast of Papua New Guinea and then venturing up the mighty Sepik River. In 2005 he participated in a rafting decent of the Firth River in northern Canada and the following year completed the first skiing traverse of Liverpool Land in Eastern Greenland.  He is best known for his pioneering adventures in replica ancient sailing ships, where he has sailed more miles (over 30 thousand) in the in charge of ancient type vessels than any living or historic sailors. He is driven by a passion and determination to better understand how ancient civilisations have migrated by trans-oceanic voyages.

From his trans-Indian Ocean voyage in an Indonesian double outrigger ship (2003-04) to the completion of his most recent voyage in 2019 across the Atlantic in a replica Phoenician galley, Philip has pushed himself to the very limits of endurance. He has sailed through pirate invested waters around Somalia (2009) and battled with a torn main sail in 40 knot winds off the Cape of Good Hope.

Philip is a highly experienced expedition leader. His tenacity, drive and determination kept him focussed, motivating his crew and dealing with the most challenging of situations. The experience he has gained from his incredible endeavours of planning, commissioning the building of the ships and leading three expeditions is what he shares with audiences internationally, enabling him to motivate and inspire on leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, negotiation and project management.

Claire Williams

Claire Williams OBE led the Williams Formula 1 racing team until 2020, in which role she was one of only two women to head a Formula 1 team in the modern era. Under her leadership Williams finished 3rd in the World Championship for Constructors in 2014 and 2015, the team's best performance since 2003.

Today she is a global Brand Ambassador for WAE Technologies, previously known as Williams Advanced Engineering, which focuses on the decarbonisation of heavy transport through the development of advanced, sustainable, green technologies.

Her late father, Sir Frank Williams, was the founder of the Williams Grand Prix Engineering F1 team, winning nine Constructors’ Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships.

Claire graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Politics in 1999 prior to starting her career as a Press Officer for Silverstone Circuit. In 2002, she joined the Williams team as Communications Officer, rising to become Head of Communications and Head of Investor Relations before being appointed Commercial Director in 2012.

When Frank Williams stepped down later that year, Claire became the Williams family representative on the company’s board. In March 2013 she became Deputy Team Principal, the de facto team leader responsible for the development and day-to- day running of the team. Sir Frank Williams retained the Team Principal title in recognition of his founding role and a lifetime of dedication to Williams Racing.

Claire has been among the most prominent and successful women in recent Formula 1 history. After taking the team to successive third places in the Constructors’ Championships in just her second and third years in charge, Claire maintained the team’s prominence with top 5 finishes in 2016 and 2017.

During her tenure, Claire was a keen advocate for greater diversity and inclusion within Williams Racing and across the sport as a whole. She acted as the catalyst to give Susie Wolff the chance to become the first female racing driver to participate in a Formula 1 race weekend since 1992.

As Vice President of the Spinal Injuries Association, Claire also sought to encourage spinal cord injured individuals into the team and established workplace opportunities for wheelchair users. In April 2023 she launched the Sir Frank Williams Academy which aims to provide life changing care for spinal cord injured people, a charitable initiative which has received support from the Williams Racing team.

Since successfully negotiating the sale of the Williams F1 team in 2020 Claire has provided consultancy services to brands entering Formula 1 and is a popular speaker at corporate events where she shares insights on leading high performing teams. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours List in recognition of her services to Formula One.

Simone Biles

Simone Arianne Biles is an American artistic gymnast, the most decorated gymnast of all time. Biles is a six-time United States national all-around champion and five-time World all-around champion. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Biles won individual gold medals in all-around, vault and floor. She was also part of the gold medal winning team dubbed the “final five” at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Simone Biles has a total of 25 medals, 19 of them Olympic medals, and she is the most decorated gymnast in the history of the United States and in the history of the sport. Among her many records, Simone Biles has been the first gymnast to win every major all-around title in an Olympic cycle. She is also the first American gymnast ever to win the grand slam of all-around titles: U.S. National Championships, World Championships, World Cup (American Cup).

Additionally, Simone Biles has been the first gymnast to win four Olympic gold medals since 1984. She has set the U.S. mark for most gold medals in women’s gymnastics at a single Games.

In 2016, she was awarded with the BBC Foreign Sports Personality. She has also won Laureus Sportswoman of the Year three times (2016, 2019, 2020).

Diego Pablo Simeone

Diego Pablo Simeone, otherwise called El Cholo, is an Argentine football star, with endless of accomplishments as a manager and former football player. He used to play as a midfielder.

At the point when his club vocation began in 1987, Simeone played for Vélez Sarsfield, Pisa, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Internazionale, Lazio and Racing Club. He won a local twofold with Atlético Madrid in 1996, and the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1998. As though this wasn't enough, he also won another residential twofold with Lazio in 2000, just as the 1999 UEFA Super Cup and the 2000 Supercoppa Italiana.

Diego Pablo Simeone played more than 100 times for the Argentina national group and represented the country at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He represented Copa América, in four releases winning the competition in 1991 and 1993. He additionally won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992, and a silver award at the 1996 Summer Olympic games.

Simeone also coached Racing Club, Estudiantes de La Plata, River Plate, San Lorenzo and Catania before joining Atlético Madrid in 2011. He won the Argentine Primera División both with Estudiantes and River Plate, an has won five titles since joining Atletico Madrid, including the Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League. He also arrived to two UEFA Champions League finals with the club.

Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti is the manager of soccer giants Real Madrid. He is only one of two managers to have won the UEFA Champions League three times and reach four finals (three finals and two victories with Milan and one victory with Real Madrid). He is also the first manager to have won the FIFA Club World Cup with two European Clubs. As a manager, he has worked for Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton. He is widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football having won domestic titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany.

He has earned a number of prestigious awards for his accomplishments, including the 2014 Globe Soccer Award, IFFHS Best World Manager (2007 and 2014), UEFA Best Manager (2002 and 2003), World Soccer Magazine Best Manager in 2003, Serie A Best Manager (2001 and 2004), Ligue 1 Best Manager (2012 and 2013), Enzo Bearzot National Award in 2014, Inspiring Leaser Award in 2015 and four-time Premier League Manager of the Month. FourFourTwo voted him the 18th Greatest Manager of All Time in 2020.

Ancelotti played as a midfielder and began his career with Italian club Parma, helping the club to Serie B promotion in 1979. He moved to Roma the following season, where he won a Serie A title and four Coppa Italia titles, and also played for the late 1980s Milan team, with which he won two league titles and two European Cups, among other titles. At international level he played for the Italian national team on 26 occasions, scoring once, and appeared in two FIFA World Cups, finishing in third-place in the 1990 edition of the tournament, as well as UEFA Euro 1988, where he helped his nation to reach the semi-finals.

Ancelotti is the author of the 2016 book, Quiet Leadership. In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career - his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs - and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.

Having led Everton in the Premier League since 2019, Carlo re-joined Real Madrid in June 2021.

Juan Pablo Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya is a Colombian Formula 1 driver and the only motor racing professional to win a CART Serie title, the Indianapolis 500, and the Daytona 24 hours, all in his first attempt.

He inherited the love of his father for cars and from the age of five he began his passion for speed. From an early age, he began to demonstrate his skills in this sport, becoming a young promise of Formula 1.

Montoya competed in three different categories at the same time, achieving good results, until he decided to move from Colombia to Europe to follow his dream of racing in Formula 1. He is an example of personal growth and how working with perseverance will help you to achieve everything you need.

Although Formula 1 may seem an individual sport, the key to success is teamwork. Juan Pablo Montoya stands out by exploiting the capabilities of each person and looking into available resources within themselves, creating efficient, committed, and united teams that will be able to work under pressure.

Just like he did with his working teams in professional motorsports, Montoya is a speaker sending a contagious and powerful positive message of motivation and improvement to his audience.

In his conferences, he gives, through his personal and professional experience in motorsport, the keys of leadership to manage a team with success.

Juan Pablo Montoya won CART series in 1999 and achieved ten victories in two seasons with Ganassii. Afterwards, he began to race in Formula 1, stage when he won 7 victories, 30 podiums and 13 poles. 2003 was his stellar season: he won the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most important and prestigious races in the world. It was also in 2003 when he beat the world record racing, the latest lap in Formula 1, at 250,844 Kilometers/hour in Italy Grand Prix.

Since 2017, he is part of Team Penske 2017, one of the most prestigious teams of motorsport and he is considered by many the best driver of Colombia.

Marc Priestley

Marc Priestley is the industry leading speaker, business consultant, coach & mentor from the high performance world of Formula One. He’s also a tv presenter, F1 commentator, award winning author & host of the hugely successful Pitlane Life Lessons Podcast.

After a decade with the globally renowned McLaren Group as a senior figure in engineering & leadership at one of F1’s most successful teams, Marc now shares his insights & learnings with businesses & events around the world.

Using his 1st hand experience of the elite pitstop crew, changing wheels in less than 2 seconds, & winning World Championships with superstars like Lewis Hamilton, Marc teaches the mindset & strategy required to make accurate, pressurised decisions fast, whilst constantly performing at the highest level.

How do you build high performing teams? Foster an organizational culture to breed innovation? Market yourself differently to the competition? Use data to create advantages? Get buy-in from your team when going through change?

These are challenges faced by all sectors, all the time, & Marc, together with Formula One, has some fascinating ideas on how to solve them.

Mark Gallagher

During the course of a 30-year career Mark Gallagher has held senior roles in the high-performance environment of Formula 1 motor racing. Today he is an author, broadcaster and industry analyst who continues to work with drivers and teams at the forefront of this global sport. He is also a renowned public speaker and since 1998 has provided keynote presentations and insights to organisations worldwide.

Mark’s executive management career in Formula 1 included more than a decade on the management board of the successful Jordan Grand Prix team, running the world-famous Cosworth engine business and helping establish the commercial arm of Red Bull Racing.

Mark has been a member of the technical working groups within the sport’s governing body, the FIA, tasked with tackling challenges including environmental sustainability and safety, the latter being central to the sport’s regulatory environment. He spent two years working on the energy efficiency regulations adopted by Formula 1 in 2014.

His expertise covers the commercial and operational management of Formula 1 teams, and includes the sport’s regulatory, business and technology landscape. Since 1994 he has introduced some of the world’s leading technology companies to the sport, playing a key role in the digital transformation of Formula 1.

Mark’s career in Formula One commenced in 1983, working in media and communications before joining the start-up Jordan Grand Prix team in 1990. Mark joined the management board of Jordan in 1998, the team challenging for the World Championship in 1999.

In 2004 he was invited to join the Jaguar Racing organisation as it transitioned into becoming Red Bull Racing. In 2010 Mark was appointed head of the world-famous Cosworth Formula 1 engine company, supplying one-third of the teams in Formula 1 with engines and associated technologies.

Beyond Formula 1 Mark was the co-founder and owner of Status Grand Prix, competing in lower formulae and international sports cars racing.

Since 2012 Mark has focused on his Formula 1 consulting business, Performance Insights, working with a range of clients across the sport. He is also a columnist, feature writer and broadcaster for GP Racing Magazine and Autosport, part of the global Motorsport Network.

He has published three books, Grand Prix - The Last 25 Years (WH Smith, 1999) and two editions of The Business of Winning (Kogan Page, 2014) with a fully revised, 2nd edition published on 3rd October 2021. His fourth book The Future Business Formula, co- authored with business coach Adrian Stalham, will be published in May 2023. Mark also collaborated with David Coulthard on his Sunday Times Best Seller The Winning Formula (Blink Publishing, 2018). Between 2005 and 2010 Mark was a consultant to Pixar on its CARS and CARS 2 movies.

David Coulthard

David Coulthard dominated Britain's junior Formula Ford categories in 1989 and became the first ever recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for young drivers. In 1991 he fought a titanic battle with future F1 rival Rubens Barrichello for the first British Formula 3 Championship, and won the prestigious Macau F3 Grand Prix.

He joined the Williams F1 team as a test driver in 1993, and after competing in eight Grands Prix for the team in the 1994 season he became a full-time F1 driver in 1995. That year he won the Portuguese Grand Prix and finished third in the championship.

Moving to McLaren, David took his new team's first win in three seasons at the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix. In all, he scored 12 of his 13 Grand Prix wins and 51 of his 62 podium finishes with McLaren. After supporting team-mate Mika Hakkinen in the drivers; championship in 1998 and '99, he finished runner-up to Michael Schumacher in 2001.

In 2005 David moved to the newly formed Red Bull Racing team. By the time he retired from driving, in 2008, he had notched up 535 points, making him the highest scoring British driver of all time. David stayed on as a consultant to Red Bull, acts as an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and still drives for AMG Mercedes Benz in DTM – the German Touring Car Championship. He is also a key member of the award winning BBC TV F1 commentary team.

He returned to active motorsports in 2010 joining Mücke Motorsport in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and retired at the end of 2012. Coulthard has also participated in the Race of Champions, finishing runner-up in the Drivers' Cup in 2008, and winning the competition in 2014.

Coulthard now uses his talents in the business arena from starting a number of successful businesses to ambassador roles to guest speaking.

Bertrand Piccard

The first surprising thing about Bertrand Piccard is the extreme diversity of his interests and abilities.

An explorer unconstrained by certitude and stereotypes, a pioneer of the human spirit more than an adventurer; he rejects all dogmas other than the need for all-embracing curiosity.

As an enthusiastic balloonist and aviator, Bertrand tackles challenges that others consider impossible. He made the first ever non-stop round-the-world flight in a balloon and launched the «Solar Impulse» project for a solar airplane, in which he flew from Europe to Africa without a single drop of fuel.

A doctor and psychiatrist, he derives from his training in hypnosis and his interest in oriental philosophies a different focus putting human beings and their quality of life in the foreground.

A real visionary, he formulates his projects’ pioneering philosophies and sketches out their symbolic significance and relevance for the public. The stratosphere and ocean depths attracted his forefathers, but the issues of today fascinate him: sustainable development, responsibility, the fight against poverty, technologies for environmental protection.

A persuasive communicator, he has a striking way of always trying to build bridges between the extremes in order to develop synergies instead of oppositions.

Through his books, lectures and interviews as well as in political encounters he tries to promote a human-oriented vision that leaves ample room for pioneering spirit and innovation in everyday life.

He is the president of the humanitarian foundation Winds of Hope and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.

Michelle Mone

Michelle Mone OBE, born 1971, is the co-owner of MJM International and founder of Ultimo, the UK’s leading designer lingerie brand. Honoured by the Queen with an OBE for her contribution to business, Michelle is regularly listed as one of the UK’s top female entrepreneurs and has built a hugely successful career on an incredibly simple concept: giving today’s women what they want.

Entrepreneurial spirit was prevalent from an early age in Michelle, who grew up in the east end of Glasgow. Michelle left school at 15 with no qualifications to find full-time employment, after her father was struck down by an illness leaving him confined to a wheelchair. To support her family Michelle took on a job at Labatt Brewers’ and quickly climbed the ranks from office junior; at just 22years old Michelle was appointed as Head of Sales and Marketing for Scotland.

But it was in 1996 when her idea for Ultimo was born. Whilst attending a dinner dance with her husband Michael, Michelle was wearing a very uncomfortable cleavage enhancing bra and, as a result, had a ‘light bulb’ moment; Michelle decided to invent a bra that was more comfortable, more innovative, more attractive and more cleavage enhancing than any other bra on the market. MJM International was set up in November 1996.

Since launching the business Michelle has established herself as one of Scotland’s biggest exports; in 2000 Ultimo was catapulted into the media limelight when Hollywood actress Julia Roberts wore an Ultimo plunge-bra to enhance her cleavage in Erin Brockovich. Later that year Michelle won the coveted ‘World Young Business Achiever Award’ at the Epcot Centre, Florida, and then ‘Business Woman of the Year’ at the Corporate Elite Awards in London.

In 2001 Prince Charles invited Michelle to join the Board of Directors for The Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust and more recently his Board of Main Council, confirming her status as one of the UK’s leading female entrepreneurs. Michelle also won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the British Apparel Export Awards, presented by HRH the Princess Royal, adding to her long list of awards, accolades and recognitions.

In October 2005 Michelle attended a speaking engagement with former US president Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, and went on to support the Sultan of Oman in setting up women’s enterprise in the Middle East. Michelle has since become a high-profile guest at speaking engagements and corporate events all over the world.

Over the years Michelle’s business has gone from strength-to-strength, developing beyond the original umbrella of Ultimo to encompass Ultimo D-G Cup, Ultimo Black Label, Ultimo Shapewear, Ultimo Swimwear and partner lines including Diamond Boutique for Tesco, Adore Moi for Debenhams.

As well as designing fashion lingerie, Ultimo boasts eight worldwide patented inventions including the Ultimo ‘Miracle’ backless body. In addition to its jointly owned brands, MJM International currently supplies Tesco, Debenhams, ASDA, Next, Figleaves and Asos.com, along with a number of independent lingerie stores throughout Europe.

In 2012, after 3 years of intensive research Michelle expanded her portfolio and launched into the world of beauty with a range of tanning products – Utan.

Michelle is divorced and lives on the outskirts of Glasgow with her three children. Michelle has achieved a remarkable level of success to date, juggling the demands of her business, together with motherhood, but – in her own words – ‘this is only the beginning’.