14 UK speaker bureau consultants worth knowing now

Last updated: August 2026.

People choose a bureau when the brief is important, the audience is specific and the cost of a poor fit is high. A good consultant helps translate a theme into a person, a format and a moment that makes sense. That work sits behind the visible keynote. It includes listening to the client, knowing the speaker market, checking the practical details and helping the event team make a confident decision.

This directory is for organisations looking for speaker bureau consultants serving the United Kingdom. It includes current bureau leaders, agents and consultants with a live role and a useful piece of context. It is a recognition directory. The names are useful starting points, not a judgement of quality, influence or price.

Why speaker bureau consultants matter

A speaker brief often begins with a subject, not a person. You may know that the event needs better conversations about leadership, technology, culture, trust, growth or change. You may know the audience and the date, but not which voice will land well. A bureau consultant can help turn that loose request into a useful shortlist.

The best starting point is a clear brief. Share who will be in the room, what they already know, what needs to shift, the tone you want and the practical shape of the session. A strong consultant can then test the fit, explain the trade-offs and help you avoid choosing a speaker only because the name is familiar.

The people below work across different agencies and different kinds of brief. Some lead large international businesses. Some sit close to account management, content or event delivery. Read the short notes as starting points for a conversation, not as a substitute for checking the current role and fit yourself.

1. Katie Lo

Group Managing Director UK, London Speaker Bureau

Katie Lo is Group Managing Director UK at London Speaker Bureau. The bureau presents her as someone who enjoys working with leading thinkers, solving problems and thinking creatively in a fast-moving industry. That combination matters when a brief is still taking shape and the client needs a useful conversation before a shortlist.

Her earlier experience growing two start-ups into global companies gives her a practical growth lens. The same profile also notes that she is fluent in six languages. For UK organisations booking across borders, that mix of commercial experience, curiosity and language ability is a useful part of the conversation.

2. Georgia Bayley

Regional Director UK, London Speaker Bureau

Georgia Bayley is Regional Director UK at London Speaker Bureau. Her profile lists a broad set of current briefing areas, including technology, the future, cyber, economics, politics, diversity and the environment. That range reflects the kind of cross disciplinary questions that often sit behind a conference theme.

She also describes the variety of people she meets through the bureau as a source of energy. For a client, that points to a useful role in the early framing of an event: clarify the issue, test the audience need and connect the brief with a speaker who brings substance rather than a familiar name alone.

3. Rebecca Robson

Senior Consultant UK, London Speaker Bureau

Rebecca Robson is Senior Consultant UK at London Speaker Bureau. Her current profile says she enjoys finding the right speaker to create lasting impact and change. That is a helpful description of the consultant role, because the best brief is not simply a request for a famous person. It is a request for the right fit.

Rebecca previously headed a UK Government network of influencers and game changers that helped British businesses grow internationally. That experience gives her a distinctive connection to international growth, stakeholder influence and practical business needs. Clients with a global audience may value that context when shaping a speaker brief.

4. John Hayes

CEO, Champions Speakers

John Hayes is CEO of Champions Speakers. The current team page says he has led Champions UK plc since 2003, guiding its growth into a UK and international agency. His remit spans speaker booking, entertainment, public relations, marketing and events, which gives him a broad view of how a booking sits inside a wider programme.

That long tenure is useful context for clients who want more than a name supplied by a directory. It suggests a leader who has seen the industry change while staying close to the practical work of delivering events. His profile also points to the Champions Speakers Showcase, an example of how the agency creates its own opportunities for clients to encounter talent.

5. Jack Hayes

Managing Director of Champions Speakers, Champions Speakers

Jack Hayes is Managing Director of Champions Speakers. The agency says he leads global speaker, entertainment and talent bookings, with delivery across 66 countries. It also credits him with helping grow a roster of more than 5,000 speakers, spanning areas from elite sport to business leadership.

Those figures describe the scale around the role, but the useful client question is still fit. A large roster only helps when someone can narrow it to a manageable, relevant shortlist. For international conferences, Jack’s remit makes him a relevant person to know when the brief includes several markets, formats or specialist themes.

6. Nick Gold

Managing Director, Speakers Corner

Nick Gold is Managing Director of Speakers Corner and Speaking Office. His official profile also records his past presidency of the International Association of Speaker Bureaux. He describes his focus simply: helping clients secure the best speaker, presenter or host for an event or conference.

Before building the bureau, Nick worked through the first dotcom boom and bust and later held an IT and project management role with a major FTSE 100 company. That path gives his profile a useful blend of entrepreneurial energy and delivery experience. He is a natural contact for briefs that need both creativity and operational follow through.

7. Tim Gold

Director, Account Management and Marketing, Speakers Corner

Tim Gold is Director of Account Management and Marketing at Speakers Corner. The official team page places him alongside the account, event, operations and marketing staff who support the bureau’s client work. That role sits close to the point where a broad event idea becomes a clear brief and a practical booking process.

Speakers Corner’s own press material says Tim joined the team three years after Nick Gold and helped grow the bureau into an international events business. For clients, the useful signal is the combination of relationship management and market understanding. It can help when an event needs a speaker who fits both the audience and the way the event will be promoted.

8. Raleigh Addington

Managing Director, Chartwell Speakers

Raleigh Addington is Managing Director at Chartwell Speakers. His official biography says he began at Chartwell in 2012, first handling speaking opportunities for motivational speakers from sport, adventure and the military. He later relocated to Hong Kong to establish the agency’s Asia office.

Raleigh has been Managing Director since 2016 and is now based in London, working with economists, politicians, technology entrepreneurs and academics. Before joining Chartwell, he graduated in Economics and Politics from Exeter University and founded the charity Tickets For Troops. That mix of international agency building and varied subject areas makes his profile distinctive.

9. Karen O’Donnell

Managing Director, Europe, Chartwell Speakers

Karen O’Donnell is Managing Director, Europe at Chartwell Speakers. The bureau lists her on its current team page within a global agency that began in London in 2007 and now works across the UK, United States, Asia and Ireland. Her remit sits in the part of the business that connects European clients with specialists across borders.

Chartwell describes its team as speaker agents and specialists who research, advise and support clients through the booking process. That framing is useful for organisations that need subject expertise rather than a generic celebrity shortlist. Karen’s European role makes her a sensible starting point when a conference has several countries, languages or market contexts in play.

10. Holly Kerley

Director, The Speakers Agency

Holly Kerley is Director at The Speakers Agency. Her current team profile describes earlier experience in marketing and event organisation, as well as sourcing speakers. That background is relevant because a strong bureau brief has two sides: understanding what the client wants the event to achieve, then finding a person who can deliver it in the room.

The agency says Holly works with both agents and clients, which places her close to the practical judgement involved in a booking. For event teams, that can mean a more useful first conversation about audience, format, tone and the job the speaker needs to do. The aim is not simply an impressive biography. It is a speaker who makes sense for the moment.

11. Brendan Barns

Founder, Speakers for Business

Brendan Barns is the Founder of Speakers for Business. The bureau says it was founded in 1996 and later became part of London Business Forum. Its profile credits the business with booking more than 2,500 speakers and organising 350 events over two decades, which gives useful context for the depth of experience behind the role.

That history matters when an organisation is looking for a speaker who fits a commercial or leadership brief rather than a one off entertainment slot. A founder led bureau can bring a long memory of what works in different rooms, sectors and event formats. Brendan is a relevant name for teams that value practical matching and an established network.

12. Adam Levitt

Founder, Covered Speakers

Adam Levitt is Founder of Covered Speakers. The agency presents itself as a global speakers bureau, with an experienced team offering personalised consultation and booking support. That is a useful distinction for clients who are still working out what kind of speaker their audience needs.

The strongest bureau conversations usually begin before the shortlist. They clarify the business problem, the people in the room, the tone of the event and the outcome that would make the booking worthwhile. Adam’s founder role places him close to that matching work, particularly for organisations that want a tailored conversation rather than a catalogue search.

13. Kaye Freeman

Founder and Head Agent, Andromeda Talent

Kaye Freeman is Founder and Head Agent at Andromeda Talent. The agency says it was established in 2018 and works across the UK, Europe, Australia and North America. Its description of Kaye’s role covers advising, guiding and booking talent, which places the work close to the full journey from brief to confirmed event.

That international reach is relevant for organisations planning a programme across several regions or looking for speakers who can travel between markets. The useful lesson for a client is to share the real brief early: audience, location, format, subject and desired change. A head agent can only make a good match when those details are clear.

14. Ellis Trevor

Co-Founder, Chartwell Speakers

Ellis Trevor is Co-Founder of Chartwell Speakers. The bureau’s current team page lists him alongside its managing directors, agents and operations specialists. Chartwell says it began in London in 2007 and has grown into a global agency with offices in the UK, United States, Asia and Ireland.

The agency’s stated focus is relevance: finding the right voice for the question, audience and room. That is a helpful standard for clients because a speaker can be well known and still be wrong for a particular event. Ellis is a useful person to know when the brief is strategic, international or still being shaped.

What these consultants show us

The work is broader than sending a list of names. Current bureau pages show a mix of account management, event operations, content, international relationships and subject knowledge. That range is useful because a speaker booking is rarely only a speaker choice. It is also a decision about audience, timing, format and the experience people should have in the room.

The strongest people to contact are the ones who can make the brief clearer. They ask what the audience needs, what the organisation is trying to change and what the speaker must do beyond delivering a polished talk. They can also tell you when a different format, a facilitator or a more specialist voice would be a better fit.

How to use this directory

Start with three short notes: the audience, the change you want and the practical shape of the event. Then contact one or two relevant bureau teams with the same brief. Ask for a small shortlist and ask each consultant to explain the fit in plain language. You do not need a long list. You need enough context to make a confident next choice.

Check the current role, location, availability and session format before you make a decision. Speaker fees and travel arrangements are separate questions and should be discussed directly with the relevant bureau.

Frequently asked questions

What does a speaker bureau consultant do?

A consultant helps a client shape a speaker brief, identify suitable people, check availability and support the booking process. Some also help with contracts, logistics, event design or follow up.

Should I contact a bureau or a speaker directly?

A bureau can save time when you need a shortlist, several options or support with logistics. Direct contact can make sense when you already know the speaker and the brief is simple.

What should I include in a speaker brief?

Include the audience, event goal, date, location, format, length, tone, budget process and any topics or examples that matter. The clearer the brief, the more useful the first shortlist will be.

How many speakers should I ask a bureau to suggest?

A small shortlist is usually easier to assess than a catalogue. Ask for a few relevant options and the reason each one fits your audience and outcome.

Does this list judge quality?

No. This is a public recognition directory. The names are useful starting points, and suitability depends on the audience, brief and event.

Conclusion

A good speaker bureau consultant helps you make a better decision before the event begins. They bring market knowledge, practical judgement and a clearer way to think about fit. Start with the audience and the change you want, then use the names above as a focused place to begin.

Related Reading

If your event brief is about leadership teams, read 25 Ways to Lead When Your Team Has the Same Working Geniuses. For a practical guide to keeping Working Genius alive after a session, read 25 Ways to Build a Working Genius Culture That Actually Sticks.

If you are planning a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org with the audience, outcome and event shape.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.