Skip over navigation to Content
Ben Ryan

Leadership, Culture & High-Performance Expert

Top Leadership Keynote Speaker - Ben Ryan

Lessons in Leadership, Culture, & Olympic Gold

Leadership Expert - Ben Ryan

When Ben Ryan took charge of the Fiji Rugby 7s team, they had talent but lacked the structure, mindset, and leadership needed to become world-class. Three years later, against all odds, they made history - winning Fiji's first-ever Olympic gold medal. The story of how they achieved this, and the leadership principles behind their success, have made Ben one of the most sought-after speakers in the world on building high-performance teams, leadership, and unlocking potential.

Ben's insights don't just apply to sport - they're lessons for any organisation looking to build a winning culture. From global corporations to elite sports teams, Ben has worked with some of the world's top organisations to help them harness talent, create a strong team culture, and drive sustained success.

Building High-Performance Teams Through Culture & Leadership

Leadership & High-Performance Culture expert - Ben Ryan

Ben's leadership philosophy is rooted in his ability to develop trust, create a shared vision, and inspire individuals to achieve beyond their perceived limits. His methods have transformed teams not just in rugby, but also in business, elite football, and global organisations seeking a culture shift.

Key areas include:

  • Creating a Winning Culture - How to build trust, accountability, and resilience within teams.
  • Leading with Purpose - The leadership principles that took Fiji from underdogs to Olympic champions.
  • Unlocking Potential - Strategies to bring out the best in individuals and teams.
  • Thriving Under Pressure - How to remain calm, focused, and adaptable in high-stakes environments.
  • The Power of Simplicity - Why cutting through complexity can lead to peak performance.

Through compelling storytelling and practical insights, Ben shares how leaders in any field can cultivate an environment where people thrive and success becomes inevitable.

Popular Masterclasses

  • Transformation: A Masterclass in Leadership

    How to transform business Leadership - Ben Ryan

    By fostering deep trust, instilling discipline without fear and aligning people behind a shared purpose, turns a group of raw talent into world-class leaders…

    Ben Ryan is one of the few leaders in world sport who can say they've taken a team from under-resourced and overlooked to Olympic glory. His approach to leadership is rooted in authenticity, purpose, and empowerment - not command and control. When Ben took over the Fiji Rugby 7s team, they had no contracts, no salaries, and no formal infrastructure. Yet within three years, under his calm and purposeful leadership, they became the first team from Fiji to win Olympic gold.

    Ben's perspective on leadership is refreshingly human. He believes in building trust, nurturing individual strengths, and creating an environment where people feel psychologically safe enough to perform at their best. His talks cut through management jargon and focus on what really matters: values, belief, and the ability to align a team behind a clear and meaningful purpose. Leaders at all levels come away from his sessions with a renewed sense of direction, practical takeaways, and the inspiration to lead not just with authority - but with heart.

  • Culture: The bedrock of Performance

    How to build a performance business culture

    Organizational culture is not about break out rooms with pool tables & bean bags nor mission statements - it's about behaviour, consistency, and shared values…

    Ben Ryan understands culture better than most because he's built it under extreme pressure, with minimal resources, and in highly complex environments. His transformation of the Fiji 7s team wasn't just tactical - it was cultural. He brought clarity to chaos by aligning players behind a collective identity and fostering a deep sense of belonging, purpose, and pride.

    In his sessions, Ben helps businesses understand how to build cultures that stick - not because of top-down mandates, but because they are lived and breathed every day. He talks about humility, transparency, and how to create frameworks where trust and accountability flourish. Culture, in Ben's view, is the bedrock of performance. Without it, strategy fails. With it, even the most unlikely teams can achieve greatness.

    Whether you're reshaping a legacy organization or building from scratch, Ben shares powerful lessons that help leaders cultivate resilient, values-led cultures that drive long-term success.

  • Building High Performance Teams

    How to develop High Performance teams

    Through compelling stories and practical tools, Ben shows organizations how to develop the psychological safety, discipline, and cohesion that high performance demands…

    Ben Ryan knows what it takes to create high-performance teams — because he's done it at the highest level. From coaching international athletes to advising elite football clubs, Ben's approach is grounded in the belief that great performance comes from connection, not control. At the heart of his philosophy is the idea that individuals perform best when they are supported, trusted, and aligned behind a purpose greater than themselves.

    In building Fiji's Olympic winning team, Ben transformed a group of underfunded, overlooked players into world-beaters. He did it by focusing on mindset, preparation, and culture - ensuring every player understood their role, trusted their teammates, and had the autonomy to make decisions under pressure. His approach to performance doesn't just apply to sport. It resonates deeply with business leaders looking to unlock potential, improve collaboration, and build teams that thrive under pressure.

    Through compelling stories and practical tools, Ben shows organizations how to develop the psychological safety, discipline, and cohesion that high performance demands. His talks leave audiences inspired, but more importantly, equipped to build teams that deliver - together.

Latest Videos

  • Building High-Performance teams

    High-Performance

Clients & Reviews

Ben came to Boston to speak at our company's leadership team event. What a story this man has, and he tells it in a way that audiences were glued. He's a down-to-earth guy with an out-of-this-world tale to tell.
Vice President
Cimpress
Ben gave a brilliant speech; he achieved complete audience buy-in and absolutely delivered on the message we were trying to convey to our business. This is something we can all learn from and deliver into our business going forward on a daily basis.
Executive sponsor
Nissan
Our audience was tired of hearing about tech, and Ben's messages about leadership through telling his story were really meaningful to the audience. If I had known he is on the Fijian currency, I would have acquired some and had him sign it!
Chief Operating Officer
HTNG
Ben was excellent and a great fit for our group and event. He was obviously well prepared and took into account our brief for the event. Only positive feedback from the group as a whole!
Conference Manager
Bazaarvoice
We had a great amount of positive feedback on Ben's speech. We also received a number of comments about how well mannered and polite the Fiji team was. I can see this is a direct reflection of the leadership they are receiving from Ben.
Managing Director
HSBC Canada
Amcor™ logo Nike™ logo Shell™ logo Cimpress™ logo DHL™ logo HSBC™ logo Fiji Airways™ logo Nissan™ logo Amcor™ logo Nike™ logo Shell™ logo Cimpress™ logo DHL™ logo HSBC™ logo Fiji Airways™ logo Nissan™ logo

Why Book Ben Ryan?

Ben is one of the most accomplished coaches and leadership speakers in the world today. His lessons from elite sport translate directly into business, leadership, and organisational success. Whether he's speaking to Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, or leadership groups, Ben's insights leave audiences inspired and equipped to take action.

What you get when you book Ben:

  • A Proven Leader - One of the few coaches to have turned a struggling team into Olympic champions.
  • Real-World Strategies - Practical leadership lessons that apply far beyond sport.
  • A Storyteller Like No Other - A gripping, inspirational journey of resilience, trust, and transformation.
  • Actionable Takeaways - Insights that leaders can implement immediately to drive success.

Ready to Build a Winning Culture?

If you're looking for a keynote speaker who can deliver powerful insights on leadership, culture, and high-performance teams, Ben Ryan is the speaker for you. Whether for corporate events, leadership retreats, or team workshops, Ben's engaging, practical approach leaves a lasting impact.

Contact Us

For more information or to book Ben Ryan for your event, contact Leading Minds Worldwide. From the booking process to the event itself, we ensure everything runs seamlessly—just as you'd expect from the world's leading keynote speakers.

Contact Us

Discover More

Request Info