Available to book
William Lankston
Effective Leadership
Workplace Wellbeing
Company Culture
Transform workplace culture and drive commercial success with William Lankston, Managing Director of Timpson Direct. William helps organisations implement upside-down management principles and people-first leadership strategies that prioritise employee happiness. Fellow of The RSA who leads a profitable business model built on trust, autonomy, and radical employee welfare.
Retail
Thought Leader
Business Leader
Inclusion
Executive
Inspirational
William Lankston is Managing Director of Timpson Direct, overseeing the fastest growing divisions within the Timpson Group, a family business serving British high streets since 1865.
Will joined Timpson in 2008 as a shop assistant in Aylesbury, working his way through nearly every division in the company. He now leads strategic partnerships, vending operations, web businesses, and franchising. He is a Fellow of The RSA and a vocL Voice, participating in discussions with MPs, journalists, and business leaders on leadership and social impact.
Central to Will’s work is the Timpson ethos of Great Service by Great People. He is a strong advocate of the Group’s upside-down management philosophy, where leaders exist to serve their teams, and where success is measured not only in financial terms but also through employee happiness and wellbeing. He frequently speaks about Timpson’s distinctive approach to recruitment, including its long-standing commitment to employing ex-offenders. His hands-on knowledge of every level of the operation gives him practical insight into how inverting traditional management structures drives both financial performance and workplace wellbeing.
Audiences learn how to implement upside-down management principles in their own organisations, discover practical strategies for building teams based on trust, and understand the business case for prioritising employee happiness. Will shares real examples from Timpson's operations, demonstrating how giving staff autonomy creates better customer service and stronger financial results.
Book Will to learn how people-first leadership translates directly into commercial success and sustainable growth.
Topics, sessions and talks
Join William Lankston, Managing Director of Timpson Direct, to uncover the secrets of upside-down management and doing the right thing. While it may seem straightforward to CEOs, managers, or directors, traditional top-down approaches often lead to wasted hours in meetings and emails, making team members feel like mere cogs in a machine. The Happy Index offers valuable lessons to help you and your team rethink management strategies. William will share insights on how adopting an upside-down mindset can enhance financial success and improve team wellbeing and happiness. Attendees will learn practical tools and tactics for effective, people-centered management.
William Lankston brings unique credibility to people-first leadership, having risen from shop assistant to Managing Director while implementing radical management practices that turn traditional hierarchies upside down. His proven track record of building profitable teams through trust and employee autonomy delivers actionable insights that transform workplace culture and drive measurable business growth. Secure Will now to discover how upside-down leadership creates both happier teams and stronger financial performance.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email william.lankston@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm William's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
William Lankston structures his sessions around Timpson's upside-down management model, using real operational examples from across the Timpson Group to demonstrate how inverting traditional hierarchies drives both financial performance and staff wellbeing. He presents practical tools drawn from his own progression through every level of the business, from shop floor to Managing Director, giving audiences a ground-level evidence base for people-first leadership.
William Lankston speaks on upside-down management philosophy, employee happiness and wellbeing, and people-centred leadership strategy. He is Managing Director of Timpson Direct, having joined the Timpson Group as a shop assistant in 2008 and progressed through nearly every division of the business.
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Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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