Former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport and leading advisor on high performance, leadership and team culture
Gary Keegan
€5k–€10k
Ireland - Dublin
Gary Keegan
Former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport and leading advisor on high performance, leadership and team culture
Why book Gary Keegan?
- Gary Keegan has led high performance systems that delivered 29 European, World and Olympic medals , shaping one of Ireland’s most successful sporting programmes
- He works with elite teams and senior leaders, including Ireland’s Senior Men’s Rugby Team and leading organisations, translating high performance into measurable results
- Gary combines experience from Olympic sport, national governing bodies and executive leadership , offering practical strategies to build resilient, high-performing teams
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Biography
Gary Keegan is widely recognised as one of the leading high performance advisors working across elite sport and business. With a career spanning national governing bodies, Olympic sport and senior leadership teams, he brings a rare depth of expertise in building sustainable cultures of excellence.
Gary is the former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport , the government agency responsible for coordinating and supporting high performance sport in Ireland. During his tenure, he played a central role in strengthening the systems, structures and environments that enabled Irish athletes to achieve sustained success on the international stage.
Prior to this, he spent six years as High Performance Director with the IABA’s High Performance Boxing Programme . Under his leadership, Ireland experienced unprecedented success, securing 29 European, World and Olympic medals across multiple levels. His work in boxing is widely regarded as a benchmark for high performance system design and execution.
Gary continues to operate at the highest level of sport. He has served on the IRFU National Professional Games Board and chaired Cricket Ireland ’s High Performance Advisory Group. In the summer of 2025, Gary held the role of Mindset Coach for the British & Irish Lions , during the Test Series in Australia. He is currently Performance Coach to the Ireland Senior Men’s Rugby Team, supporting elite athletes and coaching teams in delivering consistent, high-level performance.
Alongside his sporting work, Gary is the founder of Uppercut, a high performance consultancy that partners with CEOs, executive teams and organisations across a broad range of industries. His work focuses on translating the principles of elite sport into the business environment, enabling organisations to build high-performing cultures grounded in clarity, accountability and execution.
Gary is also an experienced educator, having lectured on leadership, strategy and high performance systems at leading institutions including London Business School , UCD Smurfit Business School and the Irish Management Institute .
His approach is grounded in practical experience and a deep understanding of human performance. He is known for his ability to simplify complex challenges, align teams around a shared vision, and create environments where individuals and organisations can realise their full potential.
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Topics
Building & Nurturing a High Performance Leadership Culture
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Shaping a high performance leadership environment where collaboration, character and capabilities are embedded to enable leaders sustain impact.
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Explore the Crucial Enablers of High Performance
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Understanding the key factors to create relational trust and alignment, such as shared context, common purpose, shared language, behaviours and rituals.
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Masterclasses
Masterclass 1
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You may want to go deeper with your audience. Masterclasses can be tailored and developed to suit your audience needs, be it a 90-minute Masterclass , a half-day or full-day workshop or a full online or face-to-face programme. Please contact one of our expert team to discuss.
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Testimonials
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Enquire about today!
Enquire about Gary Keegan today!
Gary Keegan
Former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport and leading advisor on high performance, leadership and team culture
why book gary?
- Gary Keegan has led high performance systems that delivered 29 European, World and Olympic medals, shaping one of Ireland’s most successful sporting programmes
- He works with elite teams and senior leaders, including Ireland’s Senior Men’s Rugby Team and leading organisations, translating high performance into measurable results
- Gary combines experience from Olympic sport, national governing bodies and executive leadership, offering practical strategies to build resilient, high-performing teams
“In my 15 years on the global circuit of high performance sport, I have yet to meet anyone who compares with Gary’s ability to lead, strategise and improve performance.”
Billy Walsh, Head Coach, USA Boxing
Biography
Gary Keegan is widely recognised as one of the leading high performance advisors working across elite sport and business. With a career spanning national governing bodies, Olympic sport and senior leadership teams, he brings a rare depth of expertise in building sustainable cultures of excellence.
Gary is the former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport, the government agency responsible for coordinating and supporting high performance sport in Ireland. During his tenure, he played a central role in strengthening the systems, structures and environments that enabled Irish athletes to achieve sustained success on the international stage.
Prior to this, he spent six years as High Performance Director with the IABA’s High Performance Boxing Programme. Under his leadership, Ireland experienced unprecedented success, securing 29 European, World and Olympic medals across multiple levels. His work in boxing is widely regarded as a benchmark for high performance system design and execution.
Gary continues to operate at the highest level of sport. He has served on the IRFU National Professional Games Board and chaired Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Advisory Group. In the summer of 2025, Gary held the role of Mindset Coach for the British & Irish Lions, during the Test Series in Australia. He is currently Performance Coach to the Ireland Senior Men’s Rugby Team, supporting elite athletes and coaching teams in delivering consistent, high-level performance.
Alongside his sporting work, Gary is the founder of Uppercut, a high performance consultancy that partners with CEOs, executive teams and organisations across a broad range of industries. His work focuses on translating the principles of elite sport into the business environment, enabling organisations to build high-performing cultures grounded in clarity, accountability and execution.
Gary is also an experienced educator, having lectured on leadership, strategy and high performance systems at leading institutions including London Business School, UCD Smurfit Business School and the Irish Management Institute.
His approach is grounded in practical experience and a deep understanding of human performance. He is known for his ability to simplify complex challenges, align teams around a shared vision, and create environments where individuals and organisations can realise their full potential.
Topics
Building & Nurturing a High Performance Leadership Culture
Shaping a high performance leadership environment where collaboration, character and capabilities are embedded to enable leaders sustain impact.
Explore the Crucial Enablers of High Performance
Understanding the key factors to create relational trust and alignment, such as shared context, common purpose, shared language, behaviours and rituals.
Explore the Qualities of High Performing Teams
Together the quality of direction, interaction & renewal determine how effectively teams set priorities, make decisions, and build teams and the organisation’s capacity to strengthen and sustain high performance.
Reflect on what reinforces your own values and the opportunities this might unearth
How these insights align with your personal leadership values and what they may reveal to strengthen impact and growth for you, your team and organisation.
Gary Keegan
Masterclasses
You may want to go deeper with your audience. Masterclasses can be tailored and developed to suit your audience needs, be it a 90-minute Masterclass, a half-day or full-day workshop or a full online or face-to-face programme. Please contact one of our expert team to discuss.
“Gary is a transformational leader with an innate ability to inspire and create a culture of excellence. His purpose-driven approach has had a profound impact on our performance environment.”
Jim Gavin, Dublin Senior Football Manager
testimonials
“In my 15 years on the global circuit of high performance sport, I have yet to meet anyone who compares with Gary’s ability to lead, strategise and improve performance.”
Billy Walsh, Head Coach, USA Boxing
“Gary is a transformational leader with an innate ability to inspire and create a culture of excellence. His purpose-driven approach has had a profound impact on our performance environment.”
Jim Gavin, Dublin Senior Football Manager
“Gary held the audience’s attention throughout and delivered his message with clarity and impact. Feedback was excellent, and he comes highly recommended.”
Colin Hindle, Fáilte Ireland
“Gary combines strategic insight with a deep understanding of people and performance. His ability to create clarity and inspire action makes him a true leader in high performance.”
Rory Fitzpatrick, Olympic Coach & Manager, Irish Sailing Association
“I first saw Gary speaking at Pendulum and I was immediately drawn to his energy, passion and insights for high performance – he truly is an inspirational speaker and coach for both personal and professional development with specific focus on developing high performance. ”
James Winters, Corporate VP, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Teleflex
“Gary’s ability to translate high performance from sport into business is exceptional. He leaves audiences energised, focused and equipped with practical insights.”
Martin Graham, Permanent TSB
“He is a strategic thinker with a world-class ability to lead and develop high-performing teams. His impact on Irish boxing created a system that delivered consistent global success.”
Bernard Dunne, Former World Champion & High Performance Director, IABA
“Gary is a unique facilitator in leadership and high performance. His ability to distil complex ideas into clear, actionable insights makes a lasting impact on every audience.”
Gillian French, Chief People Officer, CarTrawler
“An inspirational leader with exceptional clarity of thought, Gary has a rare ability to simplify complex challenges and deliver impactful, practical solutions.”
Ciaran Ward, Performance Lead, NI Judo
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Former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport and leading advisor on high performance, leadership and team culture
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