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Life Is A Speech, Stage Intelligence Coaching
Richard Ford

Meet Richard

From the stage to the boardroom

I spent more than twenty years in senior business roles, including Director of Communication at Positive Start Media, Global Supplier Manager at Vodafone, Senior Global Strategic and Sourcing Supplier Manager at Syngenta and Head of Supplier Delivery Management at JD Sports.

Alongside the day job I built my craft on stage: TEDx speaking, improv comedy, the Edinburgh Fringe and sitcom writing, including a script selected for Script To Seen.

Today I run Life Is A Speech, a coaching practice for founders, leaders and speakers. I'm an ADHD-accredited coach with a Bachelor of Arts from Edge Hill University, and I bring those worlds together to help people speak with clarity, confidence and presence.

  • TEDx speaker
  • Former improviser
  • Sitcom writer
  • ADHD certified coach
Richard Ford, signature

Richard Ford, founder of Life Is A Speech

See my experience and the route here

Corporate, creative and coaching experience

  1. Corporate experience

    Built in boardrooms.

    Twenty years inside major organisations taught me how decisions get made, how senior stakeholders read a room, and why communication can fail.

    Richard presenting at a screen in a business setting
    • Director of Communication, Positive Start Media
    • Senior Global Strategic and Sourcing Supplier Manager, Syngenta
    • Head of Supplier Delivery Management, JD Sports

    Audience · Stakes · Influence

  2. Creative experience

    Shaped on stage.

    Drama, writing, stand-up and improv taught me how to find the idea, shape the story, hold attention and know when something simply isn't landing.

    Richard mid-performance, black and white
    • Degrees in Drama and Communication
    • Sitcom writer, selected for Script To Seen
    • Edinburgh Fringe performer

    Story · Structure · Message

  3. Coaching experience

    Coaching in practice.

    Coaching taught me how to turn insight into behaviour, helping people strengthen their voice, presence and delivery while keeping their authentic self.

    Richard coaching a speaker on stage
    • Level 6 Coaching
    • CPD and ADHD accredited coach
    • Founder, Life is a Speech Ltd

    Voice · Presence · Performance

The route here

A short list of the rooms and roles that shaped how I work.

  1. 2022 to nowFounder and Director, Life Is A Speech. Coaching founders, leaders and speakers.
  2. 2021 to 2022Head of Supplier Delivery Management, JD Sports Fashion plc. Led supplier delivery projects across EMEA and presented to the C-suite.
  3. 2016 to 2021Senior Global Strategic and Sourcing Supplier Manager, Syngenta Group. Global sourcing and strategic planning, presenting strategies at board level.
  4. 2014 to 2016Global Supplier Manager, Vodafone. Presented to steering committees and won a "Best Business Case" award. Ran communication coaching clinics for category leads.
  5. 2011 to 2014SME Transformation Manager, TalkTalk Business. TalkTalk Award at the World Communications Awards: Best Network Operation Initiative 2014.
  6. 2007 to 2011Service Management and Major Incident Manager, Cable & Wireless Communications.
  7. 2005 to 2007Training and Development Coach, Unity Leadership Solutions. Where the coaching started.
  8. 2001 to 2005Customer Support Manager, Autotrader.
  9. 2000 to 2001Media Production Assistant, Andrew Sumners.
  10. AlsoDirector of Communication, Positive Start Media.
  11. AlongsideBachelor of Arts at Edge Hill University. Level 6 Coaching, CPD and ADHD accreditation.
  12. On stageEdinburgh Fringe performer, TEDx speaker, and a sitcom script selected for Script To Seen.

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