Martin ElliottDistinguished Paediatric Surgeon and Former Medical Director of Great Ormond Street

Professor Martin Elliott is a pre-eminent figure in paediatric surgery, having served as the Co-Medical Director of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH). Over a career spanning three decades at the cutting edge of clinical and operational innovation, he has pioneered life-saving techniques such as tracheal transplantation. Currently, he holds the title of Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at University College London and is the Emeritus Professor of Physick at Gresham College. Beyond the operating theatre, his expertise is sought across various sectors; he holds non-executive directorships at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Children’s Health Ireland and serves as a senior adviser to PA Consulting. Renowned for his interdisciplinary approach to risk management, Professor Elliott famously collaborated with McLaren F1 racing, NASA, and the aviation industry to enhance safety protocols. He successfully adapted Formula 1 pit-crew handover techniques to improve surgical transitions into intensive care, using high-performance data modelling to monitor patient recovery. This dedication to excellence extends to his work on organisational culture, where he advocates for a system of accountability without blame, ensuring that every failure serves as a catalyst for collective learning and improvement. With a portfolio that includes over 450 international lectures and the prestigious Hunterian Oration, Professor Elliott is a masterful communicator of complex ideas. He draws upon high-stakes experiences to address modern challenges in leadership, peak performance, and the ethics of innovation. Audiences book him for his unique ability to translate the precision and pressure of cardiac surgery into universal lessons on team dynamics and corporate resilience. On stage, Martin Elliott is best known for talks on Science, Change Management, Peak Performance and Risk & Risk Management. Audiences leave with a clear, practical view of the subject rather than a generic overview — every keynote is shaped around the brief and the room. Martin Elliott is regularly booked for Conference Speaker and Business Speaker, adapting tone, length and format to suit the event — from a 20-minute opener to a full conference keynote with Q&A. To check availability or request a tailored brief for your event, send an enquiry and we'll come back with fees, dates and a short summary of how Martin Elliott would approach your audience.