Sebastian Coe

Lord Sebastian Coe, double Olympic gold medallist and President of World Athletics since 2015, brings exactly that experience from the track, Parliament and the global stage. As the architect of London 2012's success and current leader of athletics' worldwide governing body, he has steered major organisations through challenge and change, from securing Olympic bids to modernising international sport.

Leading large organisations through periods of transformation requires more than strategy alone. It demands the ability to unite diverse stakeholders, navigate geopolitical complexity, and deliver on ambitious promises under intense scrutiny. Lord Sebastian Coe is one of the UK's most celebrated athletes and a globally respected leader in sport, politics and major event delivery. A double Olympic gold medallist, world record holder, and President of World Athletics since 2015, Lord Coe brings decades of experience in high-performance environments, both on the track and at the highest levels of global sport and public life.

Seb began his athletics career as a teenager in Sheffield, coached by his father, and went on to set 12 world records during his time as a middle-distance runner. He became a household name after winning gold in the 1,500m at both the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, during a golden era for British athletics. His rivalry with Steve Ovett captured the public's imagination, and his performances earned him long-lasting national admiration. After retiring from sport, Seb moved into politics, serving as a Member of Parliament and later being made a life peer as Lord Coe of Ranmore. He brought together his experience in both arenas to lead London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, winning over sceptics and turning London 2012 into one of the most praised Games in history. As President of World Athletics, he has steered the organisation through significant change, building strategic partnerships across continents and championing full stadia as a measure of success. His presidency, which began at Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium in 2015, will conclude at the same venue during the 2027 World Athletics Championships, a moment he describes as having "lovely symmetry". Under his leadership, World Athletics has strengthened its presence in key markets, including China, hosting successful events such as the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing and World Relays in Guangzhou, and continues to expand its geopolitical and commercial reach.

Known for his clear vision, political insight and ability to unite teams around shared goals, Lord Coe draws on personal stories from across sport, politics and international leadership to deliver key messages on resilience, transformation, and leading through uncertainty. He speaks candidly about building organisations around simple, transferable values that hold firm in times of turbulence, and about the importance of leading from the front to turn vision into reality. His speaking themes include change and risk management, leadership and building high-performing teams, innovation and challenging the status quo, and collaboration across silos. Audiences value his candid, energetic and strategic approach, delivered with wit, clarity and the authority of someone who has led at the highest level, time and again. Whether discussing Olympic triumph, navigating political complexity or steering a global governing body, Lord Coe offers practical insight into what it takes to deliver excellence under pressure and create lasting impact.