Gary Parsons

Gary Parsons is the founder of Selfish Thinking Co., a keynote speaker, author, and the originator of Selfish Leadership - the idea that leaders who invest in themselves first lead others more effectively. It's a deliberate provocation. And it's backed by over a decade of building and leading a multi-award-winning business.

At the peak of that success, Gary was diagnosed with severe depression. He didn't step away. He rebuilt - his approach to pressure, performance, and how he led - and grew the business sustainably before stepping down as CEO in 2024.

His book *Selfish Leaders Win* makes the commercial case for self-leadership. His keynotes and mentoring work with senior leaders in professional services, financial services, and consulting who are performing well on the outside and quietly running out of runway.

Gary also speaks from lived experience of visible difference. Diagnosed with Bell's palsy at 18 and living with permanent facial paralysis, he appeared on Channel 4's Love My Face and campaigns for visible difference charities. He brings the same honesty to conversations about identity, pressure, and performance that he brings to the stage.