Kevin Gaskell: Business Leadership

Kevin Gaskell is a leadership and business transformation keynote speaker driving high-growth performance through proven turnaround strategies, inspired leadership frameworks, and extreme expedition insights.

Quick Facts:

Highlights:
  • Transformed Porsche to record-setting performance as Managing Director at age 32
  • Leadership roles across Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, achieving major operational and commercial turnarounds
  • Founder, chair, and investor across multiple international ventures
  • Specialist in 100-day rescue plans and 1000-day world-class performance models

Formats:

Keynote speaker and leadership expert


Audiences:

Business leaders, executive teams, high-growth organisations, and event audiences seeking practical leadership and transformation strategies.


Outcomes:
  1. Clear frameworks for leading high-performance teams through growth and change.
  2. Practical tools to turn strategy into disciplined action.
  3. Renewed confidence, clarity, and resilience for tackling complex leadership challenges.
Reading time: 2 min
Reviews: (2 reviews)
Rated 5 out of 5
  • Travels from: London

Keynote Topics

The attributes of a successful leader include passion, honesty, tenacity, determination, resilience, commitment, clarity of thought, intelligence – and a big dose of common sense!

In the optimum situation these attributes are supported by effective business processes and enhanced by personal communication skills.

Achieving a high level of personal leadership and influence is not easy.

These skills can be learned through experience or, more efficiently, can be developed through highly effective programmes designed to support senior teams through periods of challenge or uncertainty.

  • Stimulate the team to seek world class
  • Turn off the autopilot, dare to dream, be better then bigger
  • Motivate genius thinking, prioritise, focus and implement
  • Encourage a culture of innovation, recognition and engagement
  • Achieve extraordinary results, sustain long term success

Talent Short Bio

Kevin Gaskell is a globally recognised business leader, leadership expert, and keynote speaker whose career spans civil engineering, world-class automotive brands, entrepreneurial ventures, and record-setting expeditions. After early success as a Civil Engineer and management accountant, he joined Porsche and, at just 32, became Managing Director. Over five years he rebuilt customer confidence, restructured operations, and restored Porsche to market-leading performance.

His leadership success continued with senior roles at Lamborghini and BMW, where he guided teams to significant commercial and cultural transformation. Beyond the automotive sector, Kevin has founded and scaled international enterprises, chaired high-growth companies, and partnered with executive teams to deliver bold strategic change.

Kevin’s philosophy of inspired leadership is grounded in practical results and strengthened by his experience leading extreme expeditions across the Arctic, Antarctic, remote mountain ranges, and the Atlantic Ocean. These environments reinforce the same principles he teaches in business: clarity of purpose, disciplined execution, resilience, and exceptional teamwork.

Kevin Gaskell is an extraordinary business leader whose career spans civil engineering, world-class automotive brands, high-growth enterprises, and extreme expeditions. He began his professional journey as a Civil Engineer, contributing to major construction projects before transitioning into management accounting—an experience that gave him a powerful command of the financial mechanics behind successful organisations.

A single job advertisement in the Sunday Times and a lifelong passion for cars redirected his path once again. Kevin joined Porsche, and at just 32 years old he was appointed Managing Director. Over the next five years, he revitalised the company, rebuilding customer trust, transforming operations, and restoring Porsche to market-leading performance.

Kevin’s leadership reputation expanded across the automotive world, guiding Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW to record-breaking results. Beyond these iconic brands, he has founded and scaled international companies, chaired high-growth ventures, and led management teams through dramatic turnarounds and strategic transformations.

Inspire Your Leaders

With more than 30 years of hands-on leadership experience—achieving far more than many well-known “Dragons” in business—Kevin brings a rare blend of insight, energy, and practicality to every stage he steps onto. Known for his mantra that you can rescue a company in 100 days and build a world-class enterprise in 1000 days, he equips organisations with the tools, frameworks, and mindset needed for sustainable success.

Kevin’s approach is grounded in inspired leadership, a philosophy he has applied not only in boardrooms but also in some of the world’s most challenging environments. He has assembled and led teams across:

  • The Arctic

  • The Antarctic

  • Remote mountain summits

  • The Atlantic Ocean

These extreme expeditions mirror the principles Kevin teaches in business: clarity of purpose, resilience, disciplined execution, and unwavering teamwork.

Leadership, Growth & Transformation

Today, Kevin Gaskell serves as chair, investor, and strategic partner to a select portfolio of organisations. His work focuses on:

  • Accelerating market-leading growth

  • Turning strategy into action

  • Leading organisations through complex change

  • Coaching executives to build cohesive, high-performance teams

A natural communicator, Kevin inspires at every level of an organisation. His presentations are rich with real-world examples, practical tools, and leadership techniques that can be applied immediately in any business context. His passion and energy leave audiences not only motivated, but equipped to achieve extraordinary results.

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Talent Videos

Kevin Gaskell Showreel What Inspires Us to Achieve Greatness

A powerful 2m53 showcase of Kevin Gaskell’s leadership philosophy, illustrating how extraordinary results emerge when leaders create environments where people can excel and inspire one another.

This 2 minute 53 second showreel presents Kevin Gaskell’s central message that greatness is achieved not by focusing on what we pursue, but by recognising who inspires and drives us. The video opens with reflective questions about what moves people to become champions and what enables them to reach and sustain peak performance. Kevin states that the answer lies in people, not tasks or systems, and in the leaders who create environments where individuals can express themselves, contribute meaningfully, and elevate the world around them.

He explains that every person has the capacity to lead others toward exceptional outcomes. By encouraging ambition, supporting belief, and providing the conditions for growth, leaders help teams reach extraordinary heights while fulfilling personal aspirations. Kevin emphasises that success multiplies when leadership is distributed. A single powerful leader can drive major progress, but organisations become transformative when dozens of leaders emerge at every level.

Gaskell describes his role as developing leaders across a team, turning ordinary individuals into champions by aligning them behind shared passion and purpose. He reinforces that extraordinary accomplishments arise from collective effort and that even the person standing at the summit never arrives alone. Behind every achievement is a team inspired by leadership that sets clear direction and cultivates belief.

The showreel closes by underscoring that greatness comes from leaders who inspire confidence, unlock potential, and guide organisations to their next level of success. The message returns to its starting point: the key to achievement is not what drives us, but who.

Key Moments

  • 00:15 Kevin states that the true driver of achievement is people, not circumstances.
  • 00:35 Leaders create environments where individuals can do special work and make meaningful contributions.
  • 01:05 Emphasis on building leaders at every level to transform teams into champions who deliver extraordinary results.
  • 01:40 Reflection on shared belief, collective ambition, and team alignment as the foundation for exceptional performance.
Speakers Contact

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Talent FAQ's

Speaker fees can vary depending on factors such as expertise, demand, and event specifics. While some speakers may charge a flat fee for their services, others may have hourly rates. It’s best to discuss fee structures directly with the speaker or their representative to understand the pricing model.

Virtual speaking appearances can indeed offer cost savings compared to in-person events. Virtual speaking rates are often 10-50% cheaper than in-person rates due to factors such as reduced travel expenses and logistics. This makes virtual events a cost-effective alternative for organizations looking to book speakers within a budget.

Keynote speeches typically range from 30 to 90 minutes, with the duration determined by the speaker’s expertise, the event’s agenda, and audience preferences. Keynote speeches often include a combination of inspirational stories, practical insights, and actionable advice tailored to the event’s theme or objectives.

The scale of the event and audience size can indeed impact a speaker’s fee. Larger events with a broader reach or higher attendance may command higher fees due to increased exposure and demand. Conversely, smaller events or niche audiences may offer opportunities for more flexible pricing arrangements.

Travel expenses such as transportation, accommodation, and meals are typically negotiated separately from the speaker’s fee. These costs vary depending on the speaker’s location, travel distance, and event duration. It’s important to clarify travel arrangements and expenses during the booking process to avoid misunderstandings.

Many speakers require a deposit to secure a booking, with the remaining balance due closer to the event date. Deposits are often non-refundable and serve as a commitment from both parties. It’s advisable to discuss deposit requirements and payment terms with the speaker or their representative when finalizing the booking.

  • Virtual speaking appearances are a cost-effective alternative to high speaking fees, often 10-50% cheaper than in-person rates.
  • There is typically no difference in fee for a 15-minute speech versus a 60-minute speech.
  • Some motivational speakers are open to discounting their fee if hired for more than one event by the same organization.
  • When browsing speakers, consider their location to keep travel costs down.
  • Personal connections to your organization or event location can increase your chances of securing a renowned speaker.
  • Be upfront about your needs and expectations to ensure a successful partnership.
  • Speaker bureaus like Speakers Inc help guide you through the booking process to negotiate the best deal with favorable terms.

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Talent Resources

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