Simon Hartley

Simon Hartley is a sport psychology consultant, performance coach, and the CEO and founder of Be World Class, a consultancy focused on helping individuals, teams, and organizations achieve sustained high performance. Hartley began his career after graduating from Leeds Beckett University, serving as a lecturer in sport psychology at the University of Sunderland and later as director of performance sport at Northumbria University. He has held roles including sports science consultant for ProZone, head of sport science for Sunderland AFC, director of SENSE, and consultant sports psychologist for the English Institute of Sport.

Hartley founded Be World Class to support athletes and teams in reaching world championships and setting world records. Over nearly 30 years, he has worked with Olympic athletes, international sports teams, special forces, aviation professionals, polar expeditions, and global organizations. His clients include English Premier League and Bundesliga football clubs, international rugby teams such as the Fiji rugby 7s team, international and first-class cricket teams, and Olympic programs. His collaboration with the Fiji rugby 7s team contributed to their participation in the Commonwealth Games, Olympic silver medals, and a Rugby 7s World Championship. A documentary featuring his work with the Fiji rugby 7s team has reached an audience of more than 50 million viewers.

Beyond sports, Hartley has worked with Michelin-starred chefs, aerobatic display teams, special forces, polar explorers, mountaineers, surgical teams, and a world barista champion. He extends his expertise to business, education, the military, healthcare, and the charity sector, partnering with brands such as Adidas, GE, Siemens, and Sky to enhance leadership, teamwork, and mindset.

Hartley’s approach is based on the principle that world-class performance results from applying simple principles with excellence and consistency. He is recognized for his work in peak performance, high-performance teams, and psychology, and has spoken at events including the GE Global Leadership Conference, Adidas Europe Leaders Conference, Adidas Going for Gold Conference, Entrepreneurial Leadership Conference, and World Class Performance Conference.

Hartley has published twelve books, including "Motivation is P.E.A.R. Shaped," "Stronger Together: How Great Teams Work," "Peak Performance Every Time," and "Two Lengths of the Pool." His work has been featured on BBC and leading high-performance podcasts. He is the co-host of "The Podium Podcast" and "The Demon Charmers Podcast." Hartley is an international professional speaker, delivering keynotes worldwide and focusing on sharing principles of high performance across industries.