Rio Ferdinand
Transform leadership culture and mental health conversations with Rio Ferdinand, former England football captain and award-winning mental health advocate. Rio equips organisations to build resilience, navigate change and foster authentic leadership. BAFTA winner who combines elite sporting experience with practical wellbeing strategies for high-performance teams.
London, United Kingdom
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Since leaving professional football, Rio has established himself as a broadcaster with BT Sport and creator of Rio Ferdinand Presents, whilst authoring four books including "Thinking Out Loud: Love, Grief and Being Mum and Dad". His BAFTA-winning BBC documentary "Being Mum and Dad" chronicled his journey through bereavement after losing his wife Rebecca to cancer, reaching millions and reshaping conversations around men's mental health. He has since produced documentaries examining racism, homophobia and mental health in football, alongside exploring blended family dynamics.
Rio translates elite sporting achievement and profound personal loss into practical insights on resilience, leadership and emotional wellbeing. Through the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, established in 2012, he works with young people across the UK and Ireland to address inequality and create social mobility. His ability to speak authentically about grief, masculinity and vulnerability whilst drawing on experiences of captaining teams at the highest level provides audiences with rare perspective on handling pressure, building teams and navigating life's most difficult challenges.
Audiences gain actionable strategies for developing resilience during adversity, fostering open conversations about mental health in professional environments, and leading with authenticity. Rio combines sporting credibility with genuine advocacy, creating meaningful discussions that challenge outdated attitudes whilst inspiring positive change.
Book Rio to deliver an honest, impactful message that resonates across industries and leaves audiences equipped to prioritise wellbeing alongside performance.
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Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.