Chris Boardman CBE

Chris Boardman CBE is an Olympic Gold medallist, founder of Boardman Bikes, and one of the UK’s most influential voices on sport and transport. As Chair of Sport England and the National Active Travel Commissioner for England, he brings decades of experience in innovation, building high-performance teams and turning ambitious strategies into delivery. From the podium to the boardroom, Chris has led at the highest levels in business, government and sport, with a career defined by challenging convention and creating lasting impact.

Chris accumulated a host national titles before bursting onto the scene in 1992 when he won Gold at the Barcelona Olympics in the 4000m pursuit. Such an achievement turned him into a household name almost overnight. The iconic image of the Lotus machine and pointy helmet linked Chris forever with cutting edge technology, something he later went on to reinforce by leading the R&D team for GB Cycling in the run-up to Beijing, where they became the most successful British sporting team of all time. Between Barcelona and Beijing, Chris won three stages of the Tour de France, set numerous World Records and became arguably Britain’s most successful cyclist to date.

Post-cycling, Chris has established a name in journalism writing for various publications, including Diver Magazine (his latest passion) and Pro Cycling, worked as a commentator for ITV and the BBC covering major cycling events, sat on the National Cycling Strategy Board as well as co-founding Boardman Bikes, the most respected and fastest growing British bike brand in decades.

In presentations, Chris talks about learning how to learn, dealing with fears and harnessing failure. He believes success is less about instinctive talent and more about determination, focus and finding the right niche – something anyone can attain.