Kate Richardson-Walsh

Kate Richardson-Walsh is the most capped female hockey player in British history and served as captain of the GB and England women’s hockey teams for an impressive 13 years. Her leadership was instrumental in shaping a winning team culture, culminating in Team GB’s historic gold medal victory at the Rio Olympic Games.

As a charismatic and inspirational leader, Kate played a pivotal role in fostering team ethos and commitment, driving her squad to triumph in a nail-biting final. She also made history as one half of the first same-sex married couple to win an Olympic medal while playing in the same team.

Following her retirement from international hockey, Kate transitioned into coaching and grassroots development, applying her expertise in leadership, teamwork, and elite performance to nurture future generations of athletes.

Beyond the field, Kate is a sought-after motivational speaker, sharing insights from her 17-year career in elite hockey. She has experienced both the highs of championship victories and the challenges of struggling teams, offering valuable lessons on team dynamics, resilience, and leadership.

In the corporate world, Kate delivers high-impact leadership training, revealing the key processes and behaviours that drive successful teams. She emphasizes the importance of collaborative vision-setting, shared values, and individual self-awareness, empowering teams to perform at their best.

Her expertise extends to team roles, leadership responsibilities, and psychological tools that enhance cohesion

Key Themes

High-Performance Teams & Culture Transformation
After finishing 11th out of 12 at the 2014 Hockey World Cup, the GB Women’s Hockey Team underwent a remarkable culture shift that ultimately led to Olympic gold in 2016. Kate, as captain, shares the strategies behind that transformation—how to build a winning mindset, develop team-wide accountability, and embed values and behaviours that unlock collective potential. Ideal for organisations navigating change or aiming to elevate performance through culture.

Authentic Leadership
Kate offers a compelling view of authentic leadership in action—rooted in empathy, resilience, and trust. Kate, captain for 13 years and chosen by her teammates, reflects on vulnerability, leading under pressure, earning trust, and navigating setbacks. Her experiences offer valuable lessons for today’s leaders seeking to foster inclusive, high-trust environments.

Resilience & Sustained Performance
With an 18-year international career, Kate understands the demands of staying at the top in uncertain environments—balancing performance expectations with limited funding, job insecurity, and mental health challenges. Their insights help teams manage pressure, embrace uncertainty, and maintain focus through adversity.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Having made history as the first same sex couple to win Olympic gold in Rio, Kate speaks authentically about the value of inclusion and psychological safety in unlocking individual and team performance. She shares how being able to bring her whole self to the team environment helped her thrive—and how organisations can create similarly inclusive cultures. Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, inclusion across the board and visible leadership has had a wide-reaching impact in sport and beyond.

Leading Through Values
The GB team’s success was not just about tactics—it was built on values that were built by the team, for the team. Kate demonstrates how shared values drive alignment, resilience, and accountability across teams. Her message on the importance of translating values into living and breathing behaviours, habits and processes will resonate in all environments.

Mental Health & Wellbeing
Kate’s experience with poor mental health and psychotherapy throughout her career is shared honestly and candidly. The importance to give time to recovery and preparation in high performance is an often overlooked piece of the excellence puzzle. 

Women’s Leadership & Representation
Kate’s role as captain and ambassador for women's sport offers a strong example of female leadership in action. She speaks at major forums sharing perspectives on overcoming barriers, building confidence, and championing equity in leadership. Relevant for organisations investing in gender diversity and talent development.

Session Formats
Kate is a highly experienced speaker who can pull out themes and stories to adapt to your brief—from keynotes at leadership conferences to interactive workshops with teams.

Formats include:
•    Keynote Presentations
•    Executive Q&A Sessions
•    Interactive Team Workshops
•    Leadership Roundtables

Kate has worked with a wide range of clients including Barclays, Freshfields, Unilever, Roche delivering impactful, relevant content across the UK and internationally. To book Kate for your next event please contact your Prime Performer Booking Agent, call us on 020 3500 3331 or drop us an email with the event details to info@primeperformers.co.uk