Professor David Clutterbuck is the master of the BDQ (Bloody Difficult Question) – ones that challenge leaders to think about what they do and why. Author of nearly 50 books, he brings a wealth of practical experience and leading edge research to developing leaders at the top. David makes serious management topics accessible through humour and provoking perspectives. He is regarded as a global authority on coaching and mentoring, and on Board behaviours.

David is one of Europe’s best-known and innovative writers and thinkers on leadership and the foremost authority globally on mentoring. He has a rare talent for making complex topics understandable and for presenting them with humour and insight.

Recently described by The Sunday Independent as second in the list of top business coaches in the UK, he is the author of nearly 50 books, including the best-sellers The Winning Streak and Everyone needs a mentor. He has helped hundreds of senior teams across the world find the Massively Difficult Questions that lead to deeper understanding of themselves and their businesses.

He is visiting professor at Sheffield Hallam University, where he is a member of the Mentoring & Coaching Research Group, and also Oxford Brookes University. He leads the international consultancy, Clutterbuck Associates, which specialises in helping organisations develop greater capability for learning dialogue.

Areas of expertise:

David has written 10 books in the area of coaching and mentoring. He led the development of the International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment and is currently leading the development of parallel standards for coaching. He co-founded the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, where he is head of the research committee. He has designed hundreds of sustainable mentoring and coaching programmes over the past 30 years, since he brought the concept of structured mentoring to Europe.

His key workshop themes in coaching and mentoring include:

The leader as coach and mentor
Practical guidance and skills for effective mentoring or coaching at senior management levels

Mentoring and the diversity agenda
The role of mentoring in supporting diversity objectives; practical skills for the mentor in a cross-culture or cross-gender developmental relationship

How to create a coaching climate
Based on the recent book, Making Coaching Work, practical guidance on how to build a culture supportive of continuous learning

The coaching and mentoring techniques masterclass
For those, who have some experience of coaching and mentoring, an opportunity to acquire advanced skills. Can be pitched according to level of experience/ seniority.

Coaching the team
Based on current, international, good practice research, processes and skills for enhancing team performance by focusing on the learning agenda.

“David really cuts to the compelling economic case for investing in work-life balance and the resulting benefits for the organisation – as well as the potential penalties if you don’t!”
Angie Risley, Human Resources Director, Whitbread Group PLC

"inspirational nature of David Clutterbuck "

"just good common sense based on great experience"

"The content certainly was thought provoking and provided a great start to the day"

"David was clearly extremely knowledgeable and very lively and approachable "