Panel Session People & Talent Operations Startup Female Founders Scaleup Delegate

Location: Stage 2 - Wed, 1 Jul 2026 · 11:00 - 11:40 (Europe/London) (40 minutes)

From Elite Sport and Business Success: Mindset, resilience and performance

What it is about:

This session brings together three exceptional athletes to explore what business leaders can learn from elite sport.

Imo Boddy, Matt Richards and Stephanie Millward MBE have all operated in environments where preparation, discipline, pressure, resilience and performance matter deeply. Through their different sporting journeys, they will share lessons on how to set ambitious goals, recover from setbacks, stay focused under pressure and keep improving when the margins are small.

The discussion will connect the realities of elite sport with the challenges faced by founders, CEOs and leadership teams: building confidence, managing pressure, sustaining performance, dealing with disappointment, maintaining motivation and creating the conditions for long-term success.

Who should attend:

This session is for founders, CEOs, business leaders, investors, team leaders and anyone responsible for building or leading high-performance teams.

It will be particularly relevant for people navigating growth, uncertainty, pressure, competition or major personal and professional goals.

Why attend:

Because business success is not just about strategy. It also depends on mindset, resilience, preparation and the ability to perform when it matters.

Attendees will hear practical, human and inspiring lessons from elite sport that can be applied directly to leadership, entrepreneurship and business growth.

The session will help leaders think differently about pressure, recovery, discipline, focus and what it really takes to perform consistently at a high level.

Hosted by

Rich Williams

Broadcaster

National broadcaster, currently with Absolute Radio and international in-stadium sports presenter.

Speakers

Barrie McDermott

Director at Forward Pack

Barrie McDermott is a former professional rugby league player, broadcaster, businessman and speaker. Having spent more than 15 years competing at the highest level with Leeds Rhinos and representing both Great Britain and Ireland, Barrie understands what it takes to perform under pressure, overcome setbacks and be part of successful teams. Today, Barrie is a familiar face on Sky Sports providing insight and analysis on the game he…