Richard has really become part of the family at Admiral. He has inspired staff across the organisation, whether speaking to thousands at our annual staff general meeting or to smaller groups as an ambassador for our Ministry of Health initiative. What you see is what you get with Richard, an approachable, passionate and infectiously positive person, and we are lucky to have him associated with Admiral.

The challenging goals we have set require continued great leadership, flexibility and an enhanced sense of ownership across the company. We asked Richard to get involved because of the challenging goals he had to overcome to succeed. The video we produced with Richard inspired and engaged our team as the 737 Challenge had many synergies with our own vision and his passion and professionalism meant he worked closely with our team to deliver exactly what we needed.

To enable England Rugby to achieve sustainable success we seek to develop ‘self-aware, self-organising, adaptable and responsible decision-makers’. Richard presented to coaches and managers from the Regional Academies, who together are charged with developing the next generation. Drawing on his experience from the 737 Challenge, Richard outlined the ambition, dedication and the determination in the face of adversity that characterises world class athletes. Richard’s achievements are remarkable, his character is a source of inspiration and the story is compelling.

Inspiration, Motivation, Enthusiasm are just three of the words that spring to mind when thinking about Richard Parks. The IoD in north and south Wales had the pleasure of hearing him speak at business lunches attended by leading business figures from across Wales. His good humour and natural warmth in telling us of his incredible feats left our audiences totally mesmerized and utterly enthralled. Richard has a zest for life coupled with a total can-do mind-set and we in business can learn a lot from his sheer dogged determination to succeed often in the face of towering obstacles. He is a class act!

Richard’s keynote at MDRT UK Day 2015 to approximately 300 financial services professionals, who can be the most discerning of audiences, could not have been more of a success. The story of how he overcame his challenges, whether mental or physical, served to inspire and motivate a captivated crowd. Richard’s account of how he was supported by the team around him and his determination and tenacity to focus on the most minute of details with a view to achieving his goals provided transferable ideas and methods, which could be implemented successfully into any business. What Richard has achieved is astounding, and the relaxed and easy way with which he tells his story belies it’s greatness.