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Edwin Van Der Sar
Support resilient leadership and high-performance culture with Edwin van der Sar, former Manchester United goalkeeper and AFC Ajax CEO. Edwin shares practical insight on performing under extreme pressure, building elite teams, and transitioning from world-class performer to boardroom leader. Champions League winner with rare player-to-boardroom perspective.
Edwin van der Sar won 26 major trophies as a goalkeeper, including two UEFA Champions League titles and four Premier League crowns with Manchester United, before transitioning to become CEO of AFC Ajax. He set a world record of playing for 1,311 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal and remains the oldest player to win the Premier League at age 40.
Edwin also won Best European Goalkeeper twice and represented the Netherlands 130 times. After retiring, he led AFC Ajax as chief executive, navigating the complexities of modern football management at one of Europe’s most respected clubs.
Edwin draws on his experience at the highest levels of sport and business to explore how individuals and teams perform under pressure, how winning cultures are built, and how leaders navigate critical transitions. His insights are grounded in lived experience, from elite competition to executive decision making. Audiences gain a clear understanding of what sustained excellence requires, how to manage pressure without losing perspective, and how to build resilient teams that perform consistently over time.
Edwin also speaks candidly about suffering a brain haemorrhage after leaving AFC Ajax, sharing what that experience taught him about resilience, recovery, and redefining success beyond trophies and titles.
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Edwin Van Der Sar
