Executive Coach, Performance Expert, Co-Author of ‘Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?’ & Winner of ‘Inspirational Person of the Year’ at Bath Creative Awards
Harriet Beveridge’s Biography:
Harriet Beveridge is a comedian, performance coach, author and leadership specialist who has built a unique reputation for combining humour with insights into human behaviour, leadership and personal development. Best known for bringing neuroscience, psychology and comedy together in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, Harriet helps audiences understand how people think, communicate and perform at their best. Through her work on stage, in business and in the media, she has become a sought after speaker who delivers practical lessons with warmth, intelligence and humour, making her an outstanding choice as a keynote speaker.
Harriet began her professional career as a Management Consultant with EY before moving into coaching and leadership development. She later became a Performance Coach with SI Group and went on to serve as Principal of RogenSi, one of the world’s leading communication and performance consultancies. Alongside her corporate career, she volunteered as a Samaritan Befriender, reflecting a longstanding interest in people and wellbeing. She gained coaching accreditation from the Institute of Leadership and Management and was appointed Executive Director of Talking Talent, a consultancy focused on talent development and career progression. Continuing her commitment to understanding human behaviour, Harriet completed an MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health with distinction.
Harriet’s ability to blend serious subjects with comedy has earned widespread recognition. She performed her first stand-up gig at the legendary Kings Head and went on to become a semi-finalist in the Funny Women Awards. Her Edinburgh Fringe shows, including ‘Mummy’s Gone a Bit Parental’, ‘Hello from the Other Side’, ‘Oestrogen Armageddon’ and ‘Neuroscience with Lashings of Laughs’, established her reputation for intelligent and engaging comedy. Her BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Taking Humour Seriously’ was selected as Pick of the Week. In recognition of her impact, she was named Inspirational Person of the Year at the Bath Creative Awards.
Why Hire Harriet Beveridge?
As an author, Harriet co-wrote the bestselling leadership book ‘Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?‘, a title that has remained influential enough to reach a third edition. She also published the spoof parenting guide ‘Turnip Led Weaning’, demonstrating her versatility as a writer and comedian. She also delivered a TEDx Talk titled ‘Make ‘Em Laugh: The Transformative Power of Humour’. Harriet brings together boardroom experience, coaching expertise, academic credibility and professional comedy in a way few speakers can match. Her keynotes combine evidence-based insight with memorable storytelling and laughter, leaving audiences informed, inspired and energised. Whether speaking about leadership, resilience, communication, performance or neuroscience, Harriet delivers practical takeaways that resonate long after the event, making her an exceptional keynote speaker for organisations seeking both impact and engagement.
Harriet Beveridge‘s Career Highlights:
Here are some of the key milestones that define Harriet Beveridge’s remarkable career:
- 2026: 3rd Edition of ‘Will It Make The Boat Go Faster’ Released
- 2025: MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health with distinction
- 2021: Winner of ‘inspirational person of the year’ at Bath Creative Awards
- 2020: Second edition of ‘Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?’ published
- 2019: BBC Radio 4 Pick of the Week for ‘Taking Humour Seriously’
- 2019: TEDx: ‘Make ‘em Laugh’ performance
- 2015 Executive Director, Talking Talent
- 2011: published ‘Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?’
- 2011: Institute of Leadership and Management coaching accreditation
- 2003: First standup gig at the legendary Kings Head
- 2001: Performance Coach, SI Group
- 1995: Management Consultant, EY
Videos
Harriet Beveridge’s Official Keynote Speaking Videos & Showreel:
Testimonials
“Harriet is engaging, inspiring and funny – her talks are always thought-provoking as well as providing useful and practical advice which you can start to use immediately to help to improve yourself personally and also your business.” – Financial Sector Client (NDA signed), all company event.
“Harriet was fantastic from start to finish, from engaging and scoping ahead of the event, making sure we were in sync, to the delivery on the day. Wouldn’t hesitate to have her back!” – Mike Woolfrey, CEO, Vixio, all company event.
“Thanks so much for an incredible session. There was a real buzz, and I heard so many positive comments about how you came across, very funny, so personable and super engaging. Safe to say it went down well with the crowd.” – Global Software Company. UK conference (NDA signed).
“10 out of 10! Delighted to recommend.” – Nick Bray, Chief Financial Officer, Travelport, global conference for the Finance Team.
“A very inspiring and entertaining keynote that inspired action. We enjoyed the evening with Harriet very much.” – Janina Geiger, Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Switzerland, client event.
“Thank you for your session yesterday. The energy in the room was fantastic, and the content really complemented the themes of the day. And most importantly, we’ve also had so much positive feedback from the group. Hurrah!” – Janine, Head of Marketing, BBC Online
“Full of praise for the energy and inspiration that you injected” – Mars
“Her sense of humour shone through, she is a wonderful personality and applied her content to fit our audience so it was highly relatable” – Castleton
“Harriet Beveridge delivered an inspiring keynote at our conference to an audience of over 240 colleagues, centered on the theme of “making the boat go faster.” Her session was motivational, practical, and immediately actionable. Harriet’s blend of insightful storytelling, evidence-based techniques, and relatable examples helped our teams translate high performance concepts into everyday behaviors. What stood out was Harriet’s ability to make performance improvement feel achievable and energising. She gave us a clear, shared language for focus and momentum, offered simple frameworks to cut through noise, and encouraged personal ownership, without overwhelming people. Feedback from attendees highlighted her engaging delivery, humour, and the clarity of takeaways they could use right away. Since the conference, we’ve seen teams adopt Harriet’s ideas to set sharper goals, simplify priorities, and build small wins that compound into meaningful progress. We’re grateful for the impact she made and would highly recommend Harriet to any organisation looking to boost performance, alignment, and confidence.” – Lucy, Conference & Events Manager, Pharmaceutical
“Harriet delivered a fantastic keynote speech … took the time to fully understand our event, our goals and the challenges our industry faces … brilliantly wove these messages into her speech. She brought energy, humour and insight, getting the audience on their feet and fully engaged from the very start. We were really impressed.” – Steph Czaplinska, Wolters Kluwer. Client Event for 200 guests
“This is the second time we have used Harriet Beveridge as a keynote speaker, and yet again she was brilliant. She is engaging, funny and can connect with any audience.”- Flo McAleese, NEXT, Conference for the Warehouse & Distribution team
“Harriet was great to work with and a breath of fresh air as a speaker. She left our teams feeling inspired and full of ideas on how to improve culture and performance” – Johnathan Wall, Director, BBC Sounds
“Her presentation could not have been received more positively, leaving 1000 audience members inspired, energised and with key tools to support them for the rest of their lives!” – Ed Rusling, CEO, Woundcare Today
“Harriet has an incredible way of blending together humour, inspiration and knowledge-sharing in her speech. When you can remember the key points that a speaker has made well after the event, this shows how much her words can make a positive impact. I can’t recommend Harriet highly enough.” – UK Research organisation
Harriet’s presentation was excellent and very much enjoyed by everybody. The real value of the presentation is that people keep using phrases (like ‘will it make the boot go faster?’ ) – It is having real take away value. – Werner Knoblich, Chier Revenue Officer. Global Sales Kick-Off for 850 staff
Speaking Topics
Harriet Beveridge’s Official Keynote Topics:
- Will It Make The Boat Go Faster? Olympic-winning strategies for everyday success
- Laughable: achieving absurdly great results in ridiculously challenging times
- Stand Up and Thrive: how to build the resilience for sustainable performance under pressure
How Much Does Harriet Beveridge Cost to Hire?
How Much Does it Cost to Hire Harriet Beveridge?
Harriet Beveridge’s speaking fees typically reflect her exceptional career and international demand. Engagements vary depending on location, format, and duration; keynote appearances, conferences, and international events may command higher fees due to travel and preparation requirements.