Tim Harris

High performers in pressured organisations are burning out faster than wellbeing programmes can absorb them. The problem rarely shows up as a wellness gap; it shows up as senior people quietly leaving, decisions slowing, and capable teams hollowing out. Executive populations need something more substantial than mindfulness apps and resilience posters.

Tim Harris is an ICF-accredited burnout coach and former City executive who helps organisations address stress, burnout and mental resilience in senior teams.

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Why organisations work with Tim Harris

He speaks from inside the problem. Twenty-five years in commodities, ending as Global Head of Fuel Oil at PVM Oil Associates, gives him fluency with the pressures executive audiences actually face.
He carries a formal coaching credential. ACC accreditation with the International Coaching Federation puts substance behind the lived experience.
He has worked at the sharp end with organisations that test psychological content rigorously, including the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy, the NHS, Thames Valley Police and Google.
The Atlantic row is more than a story. Fifty-two days at sea, 3,000 miles unassisted with one teammate, raising around £160,000 for teenage mental health, gives him a concrete reference point for talking about sustained pressure and recovery.
He addresses suicide ideation directly. Few corporate speakers can hold that subject in front of a senior audience with honesty and without flinching.

Biography highlights

Twelve years as Global Head of Fuel Oil at PVM Oil Associates, capping a 25-year City career
Completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge with Simon Calver, rowing 3,000 miles in 52 days
Raised approximately £160,000 for teenage mental health charity through the row
ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Keynote and coaching clients include Google, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy, the NHS, Thames Valley Police and The Times
HMS Warrior keynote endorsed by Vice Admiral Martin Connell CBE as “a masterclass in self-awareness and resilience”

Biography

Burnout among senior performers rarely announces itself. It shows up as quiet resignations, eroded judgement and capable people stepping back from work they used to run. The organisations that take it seriously want speakers who can talk about it without the soft-focus vocabulary of the wellness industry.

That is the space Tim Harris occupies. After 25 years in the City, the last twelve as Global Head of Fuel Oil at PVM Oil Associates, he left the industry having lived through severe depression and suicide ideation under sustained corporate pressure. His response was unusual. With Simon Calver, he rowed unassisted across the Atlantic, 3,000 miles in 52 days, raising around £160,000 for teenage mental health charity.

He has since trained as an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and built a coaching and keynote practice working with the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy, the NHS, Thames Valley Police, Google and The Times. Vice Admiral Martin Connell CBE described his HMS Warrior keynote as “a masterclass in self-awareness and resilience.”

What he offers a corporate audience is the rare combination of credible coaching content and a lived reference point most rooms cannot match. He talks about burnout, recovery and sustained performance without the platitudes, and he talks about suicide directly when the brief calls for it.

Key speaking topics

Burnout in high-performance environments
Mental resilience and recovery
Stress management for senior leaders
Suicide ideation and mental health honesty at work
Self-leadership under sustained pressure
Endurance and decision-making under fatigue
Teamwork in extreme conditions

Ideal for

CHROs and heads of wellbeing designing serious mental health interventions for senior populations
Leadership teams in high-pressure sectors (financial services, energy, defence, healthcare)
Frontline and uniformed services audiences where psychological honesty is a credibility test
Sales, trading and other commission-driven environments with elevated burnout risk

Audience outcomes

A clearer view of what burnout actually looks like inside senior teams, before it becomes attrition
Practical language for talking about mental health at work without sentimentality
A coaching practitioner’s perspective on stress and recovery, grounded in personal experience
Greater comfort engaging with subjects most executive audiences avoid, including suicide

Available for

Speaking

Speaking Themes

Languages

English

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Testimonials

Tim spoke at the Royal Navy Leadership Academy’s 75th Anniversary dinner. He gave a masterclass in self-awareness and resilience by telling his personal life story about his Atlantic row, what he learned about himself and how he is now seeking a renewed purpose in his life. Sincere, thoughtful and charming with powerful and memorable messages applicable to all. I would very much recommend Tim as a speaker and leadership coach.

Martin Connell, CBE

Vice Admiral, Royal Navy

Tim spoke at our recent event which over 100 people attended about why he decided to row the Atlantic and then his experiences when achieving it. His talk was excellent and was really honest and insightful. Thank you Tim.

Andrew Richardson

Director, The Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East

Tim gave a fantastic talk as a guest speaker at a recent event. Cannot recommend him highly enough. Great speaker and great to hesr about his unique experiences. Thank you Tim!

Christopher H.

Lead Dark Web Intelligence Analyst, SEROCU

Tim's story is incredibly powerful, and it has an incredibly powerful effect on his audience. Its depth and authenticity enables and creates discussions that would otherwise simply not happen; people who have only met that evening will find themselves opening up and having courageously frank conversations that they might not have with old friends. At a time when resilience and authenticity have a renewed importance, Tim's approach is refreshingly honest, and may change what you think you can achieve, and why you are doing it.

David Ellis

Managing Director, Station 10

I have been in the audience for a number of motivational speakers over the years and the stand out area for me with Tim was his speech was very personable. He was articulate, honest, funny and I thought overall a really good speech and he balanced well with the other speakers on the day.

Experienced male Detective, Thames Valley Police

Tim gave a masterclass in self-awareness and resilience by telling his personal life story about his Atlantic row, what he learned about himself and how he is now seeking a renewed purpose in his life. Sincere, thoughtful and charming with powerful and memorable messages applicable to all. I would very much recommend Tim as a speaker and leadership coach.

Martin

Vice Admiral, HMS Warrior

I was really struck by Tim’s presentation. It was an extremely emotional personal account of a journey, the description of which highlighted just how pertinent strong resilience, teamwork and goal setting was to the successful completion of the race. I could relate to points made by Tim, when it can be so easy to become overwhelmed within the workplace. Goal setting and communication is key in order to manage realistic expectations. I thank Tim for his honesty, I found the presentation fascinating and I will always remember his words that no matter what, we always have something left in the tank and to just keep going!

Mid-service Financial Investigator, Thames Valley Police