Phillip Matthews

Phillip Matthews is a distinguished Business Leadership Coach, renowned for his dynamic leadership style and profound expertise in executive coaching, strategic leadership, and organizational change. With a rich and varied career spanning academia, executive education, and cross-functional industries, Phillip brings a unique blend of experience and insight to his coaching and consulting endeavors.

As the former President of the National College of Ireland from March 2010 to 2016, Phillip demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities, driving strategic initiatives and fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Prior to his work at NCI, he played a pivotal role in establishing and directing the executive education center at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, solidifying his reputation as a visionary leader in academia.

Phillip’s extensive industry experience encompasses over two decades in cross-functional roles across pharmaceuticals and consulting. His roles in Sales, Marketing, HR, and General Management equipped him with an excellent understanding of organizational dynamics and leadership challenges, laying the foundation for his transition into coaching and consultancy.

Armed with a BSc and a PhD in Zoology from Queen’s University, Belfast, Phillip possesses a strong academic background complemented by Postgraduate Diplomas in Executive Coaching and Advanced Executive Coaching from UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. His academic pursuits have equipped him with a deep understanding of human behavior and organizational psychology, enriching his coaching methodology and approach.

Beyond his academic and professional achievements, Phillip’s illustrious career is further highlighted by his tenure as a former Ireland rugby captain. His experience as a sports leader has imbued him with valuable insights into team dynamics, resilience, and effective leadership, which he seamlessly integrates into his coaching practice.

As an active speaker and consultant, Phillip engages audiences with his thought-provoking insights and practical strategies for driving organizational success. His expertise spans a wide spectrum of areas, including 1:1 business/executive coaching, team coaching, and organizational change, with a particular emphasis on Gestalt psychology as a guiding framework.

Phillip Matthews stands as an important figure in the realm of business leadership coaching, leveraging his diverse background, academic expertise, and real-world experience to empower leaders and organizations to reach their full potential.

To book Phillip Matthews for your event, contact Front Row Speakers on +353 1 485 3991 or email welcome@frontrowspeakers.com

“Phillip delivered a very powerful talk to the Arthur Cox partners on coaching and mentoring. He did so expertly, relating clearly to the audience, explaining eloquently and simply his message and being open and honest in his approach. After the event, several people mentioned the clarity of understanding they had received from hearing him speak. The unusual combinations of Phillip’s sporting career, leadership ability and academic management, and of course his charismatic and engaging personality, are invaluable. He has the ability to convert and also inspire the sceptical.”

– Ruth Dalton, HR Director

“Phillip spoke at the REI Retail Symposium which was attended by over 250 of the top owner/managers/team leaders in the Irish retail industry. Philip brought his wealth of experience and knowledge to demonstrate how the principles of trust and effective communication impact on all types of teams including retail. In a practical and entertaining session, he showed how to leverage both in order to maximise the performance of our store teams and increase customer engagement. A truly inspirational and engaging delivery.”

– Retail Excellence Ireland

“ Phillip delivered a powerful address to delegates at NAPD Conference 2015 on Leading from the Front. He has a powerful presence, an easy delivery style, built up a great rapport with his audience and interacted strategically with them at various stages during his address. Delegates were delighted with his presentation and full of praise for the content. Very human, inspirational, great empathy, incisive were words that described Philip on the day. He contributed to a great conference”

– Clive Byrne, Director National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD)

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