Ciaran May

Ciaran May is a mindset and human performance consultant who specialises in emotional intelligence, leadership, and resilience. A former international powerlifter and Master Level NLP Practitioner, he holds qualifications in sports psychology, hypnosis, CBT, breathwork, and meditation. As founder of Natural Resilience Limited and host of The Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciaran works with top-performing companies across the UK and Ireland, delivering coaching, workshops, and his Founder First programme. His sessions equip leaders and teams with practical tools to build mental strength, sustain high performance, and scale their impact with confidence.

After a decade of competing as an international powerlifter, Ciaran May channelled the mental discipline and physical rigour of elite sport into a new mission: helping leaders and organisations unlock sustainable high performance. His transition from the platform to the boardroom was driven by a deep curiosity about what separates those who thrive under pressure from those who falter, a question that has shaped his work ever since. Today, as founder of Natural Resilience Limited and host of The Natural Resilience Podcast, he works with top-performing companies across the UK and Ireland, translating the principles of resilience, emotional intelligence, and leadership into practical strategies that drive real results.

Ciaran's expertise is grounded in rigorous training and diverse qualifications that span the science and art of human behaviour. As a Master Level NLP Practitioner with credentials in sports psychology, hypnosis, CBT, breathwork, and meditation, he has built a multidisciplinary toolkit that addresses both the cognitive and emotional dimensions of performance. His work is informed by years of studying how individuals respond to stress, navigate change, and sustain motivation in demanding environments. This breadth of knowledge allows him to tailor his approach to the unique challenges faced by founders, executives, and teams, whether they are scaling rapidly, managing uncertainty, or seeking to build cultures of accountability and trust. His Founder First programme, designed specifically for business owners, combines coaching and peer learning to help leaders scale sustainably without sacrificing their wellbeing or vision.

Ciaran's sessions equip audiences with immediately applicable tools to strengthen mental resilience, sharpen decision-making, and lead with clarity and confidence. He addresses the pressures that come with growth and ambition, offering frameworks that help individuals and teams move from reactive to intentional, from overwhelmed to empowered. His approach is both pragmatic and human, blending evidence-based techniques with real-world insight drawn from his own journey and the diverse clients he serves. Attendees leave with actionable strategies to manage stress, enhance focus, and sustain high performance over the long term, making his talks valuable for leadership summits, corporate development programmes, and entrepreneurial forums. Ciaran's ability to connect the discipline of elite sport with the demands of modern business makes him a compelling and credible voice on what it takes to thrive under pressure.