James Rees
Global Emotional Intelligence Speaker | Executive Coach | Leadership Expert
Inspire. Transform. Elevate.
Bring your audience a keynote that blends science-backed insight, humour, and deeply practical tools leaders can use immediately.
Meet James Rees
James Rees is a globally respected Executive Coach and Emotional Intelligence expert who helps leaders navigate uncertainty, strengthen self-awareness, and unlock exceptional performance.
With over 20,000+ hours of coaching experience, James has spent more than a decade supporting senior leaders and teams at:
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Google
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Meta
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Salesforce
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GSK
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KPMG
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High-growth AI companies including Hugging Face & Contextual AI
He is the founder of EdgeEQ, and serves as an Executive Coach at both London Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
James brings a grounded, human, and immediately actionable approach to leadership development—one that resonates deeply with audiences at every level.
Why Event Organisers Book James
âś” He makes Emotional Intelligence real.
No jargon—just practical insights that apply to everyday leadership challenges.
âś” Dynamic, relatable speaking style.
James combines humour, warmth, and depth, keeping audiences fully engaged while shifting their perspective.
✔ Actionable takeaways—not theory.
Every session leaves people with tools they can use the same day.
âś” Deep expertise with top global leaders.
After two decades and thousands of hours of coaching, James knows what truly drives impactful leadership.
Popular Speaking Topics
The EQ Edge:
Why Emotional Intelligence Outperforms IQ in Leadership
Trust as a Leadership Superpower:
How to Build High-Performing, Resilient Teams
Unconscious Patterns:
The Habits Leaders Don’t See—And How to Change Them
The 20,000-Hour Leadership Lesson:
What Coaching the World’s Top Leaders Has Taught Me
Beyond Success:
How to Lead with Impact and Fulfillment
James can also craft a fully tailored keynote to match your event and audience.
What James Can Do for Your Event
Whether you’re running a global summit, leadership retreat, team offsite, or company-wide conference, James delivers sessions that:
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Inspire leaders to think differently
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Build self-awareness and emotional resilience
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Strengthen team trust and communication
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Equip people with tools for real-world behavioural change
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Create immediate momentum for personal and organisational growth
You’ll get a talk that is engaging, practical, and aligned with your event’s goals.
