SPEAKING.
Dr Briffa is a highly experienced international speaker. Whether via keynote, conference session, breakout, or panel discussion, Dr Briffa provides attendees with a framework for thinking about performance as a lever for sustainable success, as well as actionable advice on achieving sustainable success at individual and organisational levels.
Dr Briffa's sessions tackle the people challenges that are costing organisations most - fatigue, disengagement, presenteeism, and burnout - and deliver strategies for sustained high performance.
Delivered with rigour but with a human, humorous edge, sessions are structured around Dr Briffa's concept of the 'Four Fundamentals'™: Emotional Regulation, Energy, Environmental Design and Execution.
In each area, Dr Briffa unpacks the science and provides practical strategies tested in the real world that delegates can apply immediately for benefits that extend far beyond the room.
Dr Briffa's sessions consistently leave delegates thinking, feeling and behaving differently, and are a memorable and impactful addition to business conferences, meetings, and offsites.
Session Topics.
1. The Performance Prescription
The Science of Sustainable Success
This keynote sets out the science and practical strategies required for sustainable high performance. Built around Dr Briffa's 'Four Fundamentals' framework — Emotional Regulation, Energy, Environmental Design, and Execution — this session demystifies what actually drives long-term human performance, and provides delegates with actionable advice for success.
Key Takeaways:
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Deep insights into the invisible drivers of daily energy and effectiveness
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A practical toolkit to achieve professional success without compromising personal wellbeing
Best For: Audiences at all levels of business, such as offsites and all-hands
2. Leader's Edge
The Keys to Sustainable High Performance
Senior leaders are just as prone to fatigue, stress, and overwhelm as junior colleagues — often more so, given the weight of visible responsibility. Over time, this quietly erodes both personal performance and the ability to inspire others. Drawing on Dr Briffa's 'Four Fundamentals' framework, and puts particular emphasis on ‘Emotional Regulation’ – how to use both psychological and physiological tools to manage stress, think clearly and make better decisions. This session explains why high performance and sustainability are core leadership capabilities, and how to achieve them even in challenging environments.
Key Takeaways:
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The business case for sustainable performance at an individual and organisational level
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Practical, high-impact tools for leading under pressure without burning out
Best For: Leaders and senior leaders, including C-suite executives
3. The Science of High-Performing Teams
Practical Strategies for a Sustainable High-Performance Culture
Culture isn't something you can build directly — it's the visible result of whether your people have the right conditions to perform sustainably. This keynote applies Dr Briffa's 'Four Fundamentals' framework, but puts particular emphasis on the Execution element, providing practical advice on how individuals and teams can manage workflow, tasks and time for maximum efficiency. A major theme of the session is that if cultural change is needed, traditional 'culture initiatives' aren't the answer: fixing the individual conditions that drive behaviour is.
Key Takeaways:
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Evidence-based strategies to optimise team environments
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Actionable steps to facilitate consistent high performance and sustainable group success
Best For: HR Directors and other HR professionals with an interest in performance management
To download session descriptions, bio and testimonials
“Dr John Briffa delivered an outstanding keynote at our summer event, it was one of the most talked-about sessions of the day. Many delegates highlighted how engaging, practical and thought-provoking his talk was. He connected brilliantly with the audience and sparked meaningful conversations that continued well after the session finished. A fantastic speaker who we’d highly recommend.”
Hayley Saich | Director of Marketing and Proposition
Project One
"John's inspiring session on improving performance in the workplace both entertained and informed our Glass Lift members and NHS guests. It was extremely thought-provoking and resulted in a fantastic interactive discussion afterwards. Not only did our members find it enjoyable on the evening, but many have since made real differences to their behaviour: what and when they eat & drink, how long they sleep, and other simple things to improve the way they feel and perform at work. Highly recommended for both organisations and individuals!"
Kaye Welfare I MD
The Glass Lift
“Dr Briffa delivered a keynote at our Spring Offsite. We received amazing feedback for his session from a wide range of people – everyone from partners to junior consultants and new juniors to old timers. The one resounding thing that stands out is how much people took away from the day. Dr Briffa sparked people’s attention and provided tangible ideas they can embed in their day-to-day lives. We’ve already seen a direct impact on our people’s behaviours.”
Liz Williams
Moorhouse
“Dr Briffa spoke at our conference in Berlin and, against all odds, kept a mixed and demanding audience of around 120 people totally engaged. His energetic and humorous delivery style demands attention. Even more impressively, our delegates walked away buzzing with new ideas about how to improve their wellbeing and performance and still refer to the session over a year later – a highly memorable morning.”
David Adams | Global Head of Finance & Capital Markets
Clifford Chance
“Dr Briffa delivered an outstanding session to a senior team of over 150 IBM management consultants. He more than lived up to his reputation for delivering insightful, thought-provoking advice to senior corporate staff. His rapid, lucid delivery, combined with his deeply-researched insights, made his session the most popular elective session of the day, with many participants talking long after the event about the impact it had made on them.”
Andi Britt | Partner
IBM Global Business Services
“Dr John Briffa is a total one-off. He goes on stage at our conferences and then knocks them dead with his unique blend of science, common sense and humour. He scores right at the top on speaker feedback, and senior businessmen act on and benefit from his advice long after hearing him.”
Matthew Gwyther | Editor
Management Today