Tommy Baker is a UK-based corporate keynote speaker and four-time Guinness World Record holder who specialises in resilience, high performance, and leadership development. Based in the United Kingdom, Tommy delivers transformational keynotes for corporate conferences, leadership summits, team away days, and professional development events across the UK and internationally.
After surviving a life-threatening car accident at age 14 that left him on life support, Tommy spent ten years developing the skills that would eventually lead to four Guinness World Records at the NBA All-Star Weekend. His journey from intensive care to world record holder forms the foundation of The Identity Protocol, a practical framework for building resilience as a system rather than relying on motivation or personality traits.
As a corporate speaker, Tommy has delivered keynotes and workshops for organisations including Sony, Henley Business School, and companies across financial services, technology, healthcare, and professional services. His performance career included partnerships with Nike, Adidas, Ford, Red Bull, and the NBA, performing in 63 cities across 25 countries over 20 years.
Keynote Topics for Corporate Events
Tommy's keynote presentations are designed for L&D teams, HR directors, event organisers, and leadership development professionals seeking evidence-based approaches to resilience and performance. His two core keynotes are: The Identity Protocol (how to start and recover from setbacks) and The Long Game (sustaining excellence after initial success). Both include practical frameworks that teams can apply immediately.
Book Tommy Baker for Your Event
Available for in-person and virtual corporate keynotes, conferences, leadership events, team building sessions, and workshops across the UK and internationally. Contact through theidentityprotocol.co.uk to discuss your event requirements and check availability.
I discovered something about resilience that most people get backwards.For ten years I practiced in secret. No proof. No bookings. No evidence it would ever work.I claimed the identity at Wembley Arena before I had any right to it.The protocols that broke world records are the same ones I use now when there are no world records left to break.Identity is not something you earn. It is something you claim, then spend years building the evidence to match.
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You don't build confidence to take the leap.
You claim the identity first - then protect that decision.
May 1988. I walked out of Wembley Arena having just watched the Harlem Globetrotters and decided: I'm one of them. At that point, all I could do was spin a basketball and roll it across my shoulders.
Two weeks later. I'm in hospital having reconstructive surgery following a near-fatal car accident the year before.
I didn't know how long it would take or what obstacles I'd face. But I had claimed an identity. Once that decision was made, the work became non-negotiable. Whatever it would take, I was going to get there.
Passion got me started, but passion fades. What kept me going was something else.
Ten years of private discipline followed. What sustained me through the setbacks, the failures, the times when nothing was working, were the specific protocols and mindsets I built along the way.
I didn't learn these from books or courses. I forged them in pressure, one failure at a time, until they became a repeatable system.
Eventually came Adidas, Nike, Ford, the Champions League, four Guinness World Records, and performances at NBA All-Star Weekend Jam Session. But that makes it sound inevitable. It wasn't. And I never played for the Harlem Globetrotters. I claimed that identity at Wembley in 1988 with no guarantees. My first professional booking came in 1998. Ten years. A decade of systematic practice with no contract, no industry, and no evidence anyone would ever pay me for it. The job I claimed at Wembley didn't exist yet, not in the UK, not as a profession. The Globetrotters were my visualization of what I was trying to achieve, but this was before the internet. I couldn't contact them, couldn't audition, couldn't use them as a financial strategy. What I built instead became something more distinct: the UK's first professional basketball freestyler. Total innovation. 100% investment upfront. A decade of graft before the first paid booking. The identity I claimed led somewhere real. Just not literally where I pointed.
That same system forged in 1987 still works today. The protocols weren't theory. They were survival mechanisms built in pain and uncertainty. They turned a catastrophic setback into a transformative breakthrough, propelling me toward a life of purpose and meaning. Today, they're still being tested under circumstances that don't wait for convenient timing.
I teach the identity-first system that allows you to deliberately choose who you become, then build the protocols to protect that decision when motivation disappears.
Business is still struggling to find the language for the modern environment. That's why we must listen to people like Tommy.
His work with senior managers in Sony was pivotal.
CP
Chris Preston
Director, The Culture Builders
THE PROOF
What happened next
The identity decision I made at Wembley in May 1988 held strong even two weeks later, when I was recovering from extensive follow-up surgery. That settled decision led to a twenty-year professional career performing for Nike, Adidas, Ford, Sony, and the NBA. See the timeline →
The principles that carried me across that distance are now taught to corporate teams who need to perform when the pressure is real and the script is gone. What took me two decades to build through trial and error has been mapped into a framework you can use deliberately - the same mechanics, without the chaos or the guesswork. The system works. You don't have to spend twenty years proving it.
If you're looking for a great day that fades by the end of the week, hype, or quick wins, I'm not your speaker.
This is for teams who need to perform when certainty disappears. Leaders who want a system that works when emotion can't sustain the work. Organisations building cultures that don't crumble under pressure.
BEST FOR ROOMS LIKE:
→ Leadership under pressure
→ Teams in change and uncertainty
→ High performers sustaining excellence
→ Recovering after public setbacks
If that's the room you're filling, let's talk.
- Tommy Baker
THE FRAMEWORK
The Identity Protocol
Most people wait to feel confident before they act. They wait for proof before they commit. They try to earn an identity through achievement.
The Identity Protocol reverses that sequence.
THE FRAMEWORK IN 10 SECONDS:
Identity first → Decide who you are before evidence supports it
Protocol second → Build disciplines that protect that decision when motivation fades
Results last → Outcomes follow naturally when identity is settled and protocol is running
Identity first. Protocol second. Results last.
The identity decision comes first. Discipline protects it. This is a repeatable system for leading, performing, and making decisions under pressure when there is no script and no safety net.
1
Identity
The internal decision claimed before proof exists. This comes first. Everything else follows.
2
Protocol
The systems that protect identity when motivation fails. Named. Tested. Repeatable.
3
Results
The natural by-product of identity and protocol alignment. Proof, not target.
Considering Tommy for your event?
Download the Speaker Kit to share with your team or committee.
First crisis after Wembley. The anchor decision holds. ðŸ‘
2003
Fifteen years of protocol. The world begins to notice.
2007
Nineteen years after watching them, standing with them.
February 2009
NBA All-Star Weekend. Three world records.
Published 2010
Identity becomes proof.
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With Pelé.
Nike
With Ronaldinho.
Corporate
Boardrooms to arenas.
Global Brands
Diesel. Nike. Adidas. Ford. Sony.
Estonia 2007
International performance circuit.
Estonia 2007
Live arena performance.
Sony 2014
House of Vans, London.
Henley 2017
Where the speaking began.
Where Identity Led
Twenty years. One decision. The results.
Click the gold markers to watch
25
Countries
4
Continents
60+
Cities
3
Featured Videos
Video Title
Video description
Coming 2027
THE BOOK
The Identity Protocol
Resilience is a system, not a trait.
Twenty years of performing under pressure, distilled into a framework anyone can use. From world record attempts to corporate boardrooms, this book reveals the system behind sustained excellence.
A repeatable process for becoming who you need to be before the proof exists to support it.
Get notified when it launches (plus a free framework overview):
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Client Perspectives
"In a world where business is still struggling to find the language to describe the modern environment, it's absolutely critical that we listen to people like Tommy."
"Tommy's ability to take that story and turn it into something people can use, making it very practical and very accessible."
"His work with senior managers in Sony was pivotal. They were absolutely mesmerised by his story."
"People like Tommy, they're one in a million. He was humble. He was friendly. He captures the hearts and minds of the entire audience."
"It's not a story about basketball. It's a story of one man fighting all the odds, then using it to help people do the same."
CP
Chris Preston
Director, The Culture Builders / Delivered sessions at Sony
"Tommy's session was great fun, but it was a serious business message: resilience, innovation, and mastery."
"Personal resilience. Tommy's story is a great one and well worth hearing."
"How does anyone, in the frenetic world we're in at the moment, master anything? Tommy shows you how."
"Tommy is a great guy, very easy to deal with, and comes highly recommended."
Everything you need to know about booking and working together.
What session lengths are available?
Keynotes typically run 45-60 minutes. Longer workshops can be tailored for deeper engagement with the framework.
In-person or virtual?
Both available. In-person preferred for maximum impact.
Geographic reach?
UK-based, available internationally. Travel arrangements are straightforward and included in proposals.
How are fees structured?
Fees are provided on enquiry and depend on session length, format, and location. All proposals include clear pricing with no hidden costs.
Can content be customized?
Absolutely. Every session is tailored to your organization's current challenges, industry context, and specific outcomes you're targeting. Pre-event briefing ensures the frameworks land with precision.
What's your approach on event day?
I arrive early, tech-check thoroughly, and stay for the audience. Low-maintenance, high-impact. Your event team can rely on clear communication and professional execution from booking to follow-up.
What's included?
Pre-event consultation to tailor content to your audience, the session itself, and follow-up resources for attendees (digital Protocol Cards and key takeaways).
What's the typical booking lead time?
Most bookings are made 3-6 months in advance, but I can accommodate shorter timelines where schedules allow. Earlier dates may be available. Get in touch to discuss.
WORKING TOGETHER
What to Expect
From first conversation to final applause: here's how it works.
1
Discovery Call
A 20-30 minute conversation to understand your event, audience, and goals. No hard sell, just clarity on whether we're the right fit.
2
Tailored Proposal
Within 48 hours, you'll receive a clear proposal with recommended keynote, timing options, and investment. Everything you need to take to your team.
3
Pre-Event Briefing
Closer to the date, we'll connect again to fine-tune the content. I'll ask about current challenges, themes you want reinforced, and anything to avoid.
4
The Session
45-60 minutes blending story with practical framework. Interactive, memorable, and tailored to your people.
5
Follow-Up Resources
After the event, attendees receive an interactive Protocol Card and complete access to the Resource Library - protocol tools, framework deep dives, and extended materials to sustain the work beyond the session.
GET IN TOUCH
Let's Talk
If you are exploring a speaking engagement, I would welcome the conversation. Fill out the form below and I will respond within one business day.
