Unconventional Thinking
About us
“We bring people together to spark new connections, inspire fresh thinking and supercharge performance. We do this by offering insightful coaching, extraordinary events and access to speakers at the top of their game. Life is an amazing journey. Let’s share it.”
100+
event speakers in our extensive network to ensure tailored, high-quality event content.
500+
the number of senior leaders HTL have worked with.
2006
the year that HTL was founded.
150+
leaders were interviewed between 2014 and 2019 as part of the Brilliant Minds video and podcast series.
Our formula
Listen
We listen to what you want, ask questions and discover what you want to achieve.
Develop together
We work collaboratively with you to develop a plan that will realise your goals.
Bespoke output
We draw on our network and expertise to create something that will make you proud.
Let's talk
Curious about how we can help? Let’s chat and turn ideas into action.
How we can help
Hear about our five main service areas
Coaching and workshops
Coaching sessions and workshops that get results.
High-impact coaching and workshops
We’ve created coaching and personal development programmes for leaders in organisations including PA Consulting, Panasonic and L.E.K.. Alice Bufton-Thorneycroft is our specialist lead in this area. She designs and delivers high-impact training for groups and one-to-one coaching for leaders. As well as creating and facilitating virtual and in-person workshops for businesses, we also enjoy adding workshop elements to our events. This could be anything from a poker session that explores the topic of business risk to a cookery masterclass where people learn the crossover between management and culinary skills.
Get in touch to find out more.
Organising events
Clients trust us to deliver exceptional events.
Organising extraordinary events
We’ve organised hundreds of events for all kinds of people. Clients trust us to deliver memorable events with a meaningful message (and delicious food).
We’ve organised a private dinner for 50 people cooked by Michel Roux Jr at The Langham in London. We’ve curated an awards dinner for 600 guests at the Sporting Club de Monaco and taken a demolition firm to Bordeaux for a client ‘thank you’ event.
In addition, we put on our own annual Brilliant Minds Showcase, a by-invitation event that helps spark new connections.
Get in touch to find out more.
Solving problems
We act as a confidential sounding board for leaders.
Helping leaders solve problems
When people are at C-Suite level, they may have limited opportunities to discuss their current business challenges frankly and openly.
We act as a confidential sounding board for leaders, providing an arena where people can have honest conversations about the challenges they face.
Harvey Thorneycroft is our specialist in this area. Thanks to his broad network of business connections and experience of over 2,000 client initiatives, he’s well-equipped to find unexpected solutions to business problems.
Get in touch to find out more.
Placing speakers
Discover speakers who add a new dimension to events.
Finding exceptional speakers
If you want to hire a speaker for an event, you’ll find we offer something different.
We can find you after-dinner speakers, business speakers, comedians, motivational speakers, presenters and hosts, and sports speakers.
Our speakers come from all walks of life. Many are well-known in their fields, such as chef Michel Roux Jr, author Matthew Syed, pilot Mandy Hickson, high-performance expert Damian Hughes and comedian Cally Beaton. Others have fascinating life lessons to share from their experience. They include a horse whisperer, a Buddhist monk, a bomb disposal expert and a surgeon who survived the Boxing Day tsunami.
Get in touch to find out more.
Connecting businesses
Make the most of our unique network.
Connecting businesses with opportunities
Since we set up in 2006, we’ve worked with more than 450 senior people in every kind of business, from tech, pharma, packaging, law, sport and management consultancies, to commodities, rail, aviation, retail, finance, construction and demolition.
We love to link up with new people and we love it even more if we can link up people within our network who can help each other.
Harvey Thorneycroft is our connector-in-chief. He has an uncanny ability to put two people together for their mutual benefit.
Get in touch to find out more.
Developing people to retain talent
It’s expensive and time-consuming to recruit new talent. Instead, why not develop your people so they feel more connected to your business and want to stay? We used a distinctive blend of traditional coaching and acting skills to help this software business develop and retain its key people.
Learning from poker and Formula One
W&R Barnett challenged us to find a different way to bring together senior leaders from across their businesses. We created a unique event where Caspar, a poker player, and Mark, a Formula One expert, shared their insights into risk and uncertainty.
100
People attended from the firm’s leadership team.
Changing the game at the World Athletics Awards
It was a great honour when Seb Coe asked us to work on the 2016 World Athletics Awards in Monaco. We were responsible for delivering a high-profile, prestigious event for eminent athletes and delegates.
600
Guests flew in from around the world to attend the event in Monaco.
HTL shorts
Wisdom for business and personal growth. Videos powered by yBC.tv
Michel Roux Jr: The power of mentorship
Dr Tara Swart: Unlock resilience: 12 minutes of mindfulness daily
James Cracknell OBE: Training four years for a six minute race
Speakers
Brilliant minds
Every February, we hold our Brilliant Minds Showcase, a by-invitation only event for 250 of our loyal clients. Held at a prestigious venue with an array of speakers, it offers a unique opportunity for guests to network and build lasting relationships.
20+ years
of Brilliant Minds events
250
people attend the showcase, which is always over-subscribed
Live feed
Who we work with
Let's talk
Curious about how we can help? Let’s chat and turn ideas into action.