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Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE is Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer, a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and a leading authority on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI). As a keynote speaker, Chris combines his remarkable life story with deep expertise in leadership, digital innovation, and policy.
After losing his sight at the age of 14, Chris defied expectations to dominate Paralympic swimming, winning nine gold, five silver, and one bronze medals across four Games. He broke 35 world records and remains one of Britain’s most decorated Paralympians. Beyond sport, he pursued a career in law and journalism, later becoming a commercial lawyer specialising in employment and pensions.
Chris played a pivotal role in delivering the record-breaking London 2012 Paralympic Games as Director of Paralympic Integration, helping to make them the first Paralympics to sell out every session and reach a global audience in the hundreds of millions. His leadership and vision helped redefine perceptions of disability sport worldwide.
In 2013, Chris was appointed a Life Peer in the House of Lords, where he focuses on digital innovation, AI governance, social mobility, and financial inclusion. A thought leader in AI policy, he introduced the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill in 2023, calling for a human-centred approach to AI governance. That same year, he was awarded the Alan Turing Award for his contributions to ethical AI and digital policy. His 2017 report, “DLT for Public Good”, remains an influential resource on blockchain and digital ledger technology.
Chris also serves as a Diversity Adviser to the Civil Service, a Non-Executive Director for UK Sport, and a patron of Help for Heroes, the Youth Sport Trust, and the British Paralympic Association.
As a speaker, Chris delivers a powerful message of resilience, innovation, and inclusion. His engaging style, warmth, and humour resonate with corporate leaders, policymakers, and technology experts alike. His topics include overcoming adversity, diversity and inclusion, AI governance, and the future of digital technology—ensuring audiences leave both inspired and informed.
A personal and moving story about a young boy from the Midlands who never expected to become the first person to enter the House of Lords with a guide dog!
A compelling illustration of the essential role of vulnerability and trust in effective teamwork.
How to build an inclusive culture is always a top speech topic but these titles are an example of the way in which Chris works closely with clients to personalise his presentations and ensure they are just right for each organisation.
What does an ‘AI’ future mean for humans? Chris sat on the Lords Select Committee on AI and is an expert on DLT/blockchain and various emerging technologies.
Covid accelerated trends we couldn’t have imagined just three years ago but how do we ensure hybrid working provides personalised employee experiences and increased productivity and better business outcomes.
Chris Holmes was excellent and was a perfect choice for our event! He was funny, down to earth and very inspiring – we had great feedback from our Trustees and guests, thank you Chris Holmes .
Excellent, Chris Holmes has a very relaxed and engaging style – our guests warmed to him immediately. He is very perceptive about the audience present and adapted his talk to suit them – a very unique man in that respect. He was humorous and thought provoking and did exactly what we asked him to do. Chris Holmes is a warm, genuine, funny and inspiring speaker. It’s quite something to hold a restless audience’s attention at the end of a very long day.
Inspirational Speakers has been providing high profile keynote speakers and entertainers for over 25 years.
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