Felix Riley is a keynote speaker, facilitator, and Moonshot Strategist who helps organisations unlock brilliant thinking in the age of AI. His sessions are known for being genuinely funny and sharply observed – the kind of talk where the room laughs, then realises it has just been handed a practical... Read more
A punchy, practical keynote for legal and professional-services audiences on what AI will commoditise, where human value increases, and how firms stay ahead. Felix translates the tech into clear business implications – pricing, delivery, talent, trust – and focuses on the enduring human edge: judgment, creativity, empathy, and client confidence.
A lively keynote about turning global scale into a competitive advantage rather than a coordination headache. Felix shows how national silos form, why “local optimisation” kills learning, and how leaders can build faster knowledge transfer, stronger collaboration, and repeatable cross-office wins.
A human, uplifting keynote for housing and social-impact audiences about what stable housing unlocks: health, education, employment, and dignity. Felix connects the front-line reality to leadership decisions, celebrating the work while offering a motivating lens on purpose, resilience, and the measurable ripple effects of a safe home.
A highly engaging talk on the leadership skill most strategies forget: narrative. Felix explains how stories create clarity, belief, and action – and shares practical techniques to turn vision into a message people remember, repeat, and act on, whether you’re selling a strategy, leading change, or winning clients.
A high-energy, sharply funny talk that reframes failure as data, not identity. Audiences learn how fear quietly drives caution and overthinking, and leave with practical behaviours for smarter risk, faster recovery, and a culture where people take ownership, experiment, and build momentum.
A fast, funny, story-driven keynote about the invisible limits that hold smart teams back. Felix shows how organisations drift into learned helplessness, status quo bias, and “safe” thinking – then gives leaders practical tools to spot the lid, challenge assumptions, and make imaginative thinking a repeatable habit.
Felix Riley is a keynote speaker, facilitator, and Moonshot Strategist who helps organisations unlock brilliant thinking in the age of AI. His sessions are known for being genuinely funny and sharply observed – the kind of talk where the room laughs, then realises it has just been handed a practical new operating system for how to think and decide.
Felix studied Mental Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1993 with a head full of logic, critical thinking, and an ambition to write comedy and perform stand-up. He spent the next decade writing for BBC radio and TV, including The Zoë Ball Radio 1 Breakfast Show, The Simon Mayo Show, The News Quiz, Week Ending, The Rory Bremner Show, and The Big Breakfast. He also created and produced Cross Talk for Radio 4, a show about crosswords presented by Colin Dexter (creator of Inspector Morse). Along the way he performed stand-up at The Comedy Store, which proved to be excellent preparation for any future life involving microphones, adrenaline, and sceptical audiences.
In 2003, with the arrival of his first child, Felix moved into finance at Cantor Fitzgerald. Three years later he founded ChoiceOdds, a financial binary betting firm, which he later sold to MF Global, the NYSE-listed American brokerage. He remained with MF Global as Managing Director and served on the firm’s Global Executive Board.
In 2011, Felix stepped away from corporate life and took on a very different challenge: copper mining negotiations in Zambia. As Head Negotiator for Kitwe Mines, he operated in high-stakes, politically sensitive environments, including one-on-one meetings with President Rupiah Banda and his adviser, and negotiations with tribal chiefs. The experience sharpened his view of pressure, persuasion, and decision-making when the stakes are real and the room is not always predictable.
Alongside this, Felix is also an author. Penguin published his financial thrillers The Set Up (2011) and The Inside Job (2012), inspired by the 2008 crash and his experience of markets from the inside. The screen rights were later picked up by La Plante Productions and Fine Line Cinema.
In 2013 – Felix turnaround a struggling UK IT company, ultimately positioning it for sale. The work was demanding and unsentimental – difficult decisions, hard conversations, and a deep education in what it actually takes to shift performance and culture under pressure. That chapter led him into business advisory work, and eventually into speaking and facilitation full-time.
Today Felix works with organisations across law, consultancy, the military, private banking, healthcare, housing, finance, charity sector, and start-ups – helping smart teams think bigger, challenge assumptions, and decide what they will do differently on Monday morning. His flagship keynote, The Flea Jar, is a fast, funny, story-driven talk about invisible limits and learned helplessness – and how to spot the “lid” and smash through it. He also speaks on AI and professional services (Lawyers vs The Machine), the role of failure in success (Failing Upwards), and storytelling as a leadership tool (Once Upon A Business).
Felix has appeared on Bloomberg, MSNBC, and BBC Radio 5 Live as a commentator on markets and business. His work combines entertainment-level storytelling with commercial rigour and practical frameworks leaders can use immediately – leaving audiences energised, challenged, and equipped.
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You can book Felix Riley through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Felix's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Felix Riley's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Felix tailored to your event.
Felix Riley speaks on Business & Management, Change, Entrepreneurial, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Felix to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Felix Riley for events worldwide, subject to Felix's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Felix Riley is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Felix can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Felix Riley on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Felix can offer.
Felix Riley delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Felix Riley's areas of expertise include Business & Management, Change, Entrepreneurial, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation. To get a clear sense of Felix's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Felix Riley can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Business & Management, Change, Entrepreneurial, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation is relevant. Details of Felix's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Felix Riley is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Felix Riley, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Felix's current availability for your dates.