From industry conferences to leadership away days to site-level toolbox talks. One speaker. Three decades of work. One story that changes how people think about mental fitness at work.
Dave speaks at industry conferences, leadership summits and corporate events across the UK and internationally. The keynote From Morphine to Match Fit is a 45 to 60 minute talk that combines a remarkable personal story with a practical framework audiences apply immediately.
See the keynote →If you are a construction or infrastructure company looking to bring The SHIFT Code™ to your workforce, Dave delivers toolbox talks, HSEQ leader sessions and full-day leadership programmes specifically built for construction. Not adapted from a generic model. Written for your sites.
See construction programmes →This is not a motivational talk. It is the story of a boy from Ordsall, Salford — the roughest council estate in Europe — who served three thousand funerals, survived homelessness, received a terminal misdiagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease, and came off thirty-six tablets a day including morphine.
Told through the five questions that made it possible. The same five questions that became The SHIFT Code™. Audiences leave with a framework they can use the following morning.
Format Options
45-minute keynote
60-minute keynote with Q&A
Half-day workshop extension available
The SHIFT Code™ is a five-stage framework. Every element of the keynote maps to it. Audiences do not just hear a story. They leave with a structure.
A method for honest self-assessment under pressure, without judgement
Language for the automatic patterns running below conscious awareness
A practical approach to identity revision that holds beyond the event
Precision about where energy is actually going versus where it should go
The 60-Second SHIFT Reset: a daily practice they use from the next morning
Dave's speaker showreel followed by an audience testimonial from his keynote Dead Man Walking — the talk that became The SHIFT Code™. Same work. Same impact. Same man.
Speaker Showreel
Dead Man Walking — Audience Testimonial
"Not a talk I have heard variations of before. A story that shifted something in the room. The questions people asked afterwards told you everything."
Senior Leader · Construction Sector"We booked Dave for our leadership day expecting something good. What we got was something our team are still talking about six months later."
Head of People · Infrastructure CompanyDave speaks across sectors. His core audiences are construction and infrastructure, corporate leadership and wellbeing, and sport. Every talk is adapted to the room. None are generic.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractor events, HSEQ leadership days, safety culture programmes and wellbeing initiatives where the audience needs substance, not another awareness campaign.
On-site options →Senior leadership events, L&D programmes and corporate away days where the audience needs a framework, not just inspiration. From 50-person conferences to intimate leadership cohorts.
Check availability →Organisations serious about mental health as a performance issue, not a compliance exercise. Events where the audience is ready for an honest conversation, not a wellness session.
Get in touch →Elite and grassroots sport, from professional clubs to community programmes. Mental fitness as daily practice, not crisis intervention. Dave coaches Salford RLFC disability teams and understands performance from the inside.
Talk to Dave →Toolbox talks, HSEQ leader sessions and workforce programmes are a separate offering to the keynote. They are built specifically for construction and can be delivered on site, at your offices, or as part of a wider SHIFT Code™ deployment alongside The Site Journal.
Dave speaks at events across the UK and internationally. To check availability and discuss your event, get in touch directly.
Book Dave to Speak