Chris Boardman

Chris is an Olympic gold medallist, world record holder and three-time Tour de France stage winner and became Head of Research and Development for the Great Britain Cycling Team, tasked with creating world-leading equipment and coaching methods.

Chris Boardman was appointed as Greater Manchester’s first ever Cycling and Walking Commissioner in July 2017 by Mayor Andy Burnham. His report, Made to Move, published in December 2017, set out a 15 step plan to transform how people get around in the city region. The plan has evolved into a £1.5 billion plan to create a world-class cycling and walking network with the first 100 miles of high-quality routes now being created.

In May 2021, Boardman was appointed in an expanded role as Greater Manchester’s first ever Transport Commissioner, tasked with accelerating the delivery of the Bee Network – a fully integrated, city region-wide transport system.

He is one of the UK’s most prominent cycling and walking advocates and has been policy adviser to British Cycling since 2012.

Chris launched his own range of bikes, BOARDMAN Bikes, in 2007 and is company chairman. He also worked as Head of Research and Development for the Great Britain Cycling Team from 2004 to 2012, including at the 2008 Beijing Games where the Olympic team won eight gold medals.

Speaking Topics

Innovation Culture
Whether in the world of sport or transport, innovation is an activity often desired but hard to deliver as the fear of change compels us to stick with what we know. Creating an environment where innovation is normal, requires a special set of circumstances and a different way to look at change.

Whilst working with British Cycling, Chris was lucky enough to help create a team that changed the culture of a sport. The methods and principals have proven just as effective in the world of business and infrastructure delivery, because the biggest barrier to innovation remains constant, ourselves.

High Performance Teams
Everyone wants their business to lead but few are willing to do what it takes to be at the front. Being first means doing things first and managing the inherent risks involved with pioneering.

In the last 20 years, Chris has worked in sport, local and national politics, helping create some of the highest performance teams in the world. This interactive talk contains stories about the individuals that made up those groups and examines how they consistently flourished in high pressure environments.

Personal Excellence
Personal excellence is something of a cliche; easy to say but hard to achieve. It requires us to be able to look in the mirror, see ourselves as we truly are and know how to improve in a sustainable way.

Chris has bumped into some amazing people who often gave him some simple tools, that allowed an unemployed carpenter to become an Olympic Champion and eventually go on to lead multi-billion pound projects.

To book Chris Boardman for your next event, please email info@primeperformers.co.uk or call 020 3500 3331.