David Rigby

Background, Coaching & Training Experience

• David is a Keynote Speaker. Watch his Speakers Showreel here
• *NEW* Podcast “Intercultural Coaching Made Real” with David Rigby April 2025 watch here or here
• David at Professional Speakers Association PROdays Barcelona March 25 “Pitch your life” watch here
• David Spoke at Professional Speakers Association Convention Barcelona Nov 22 – “Cognitive Diversity illustrated by dancing” watch here
• David presented a 7 minute test speech for Madrid Toastmasters on Cognitive Interculturality here
• David is an expert on Cognitive Diversity. Watch is webinar with DG Talks here
• David is a Motivational Speaker. Watch his presentation to Forever Living Products, Dubai here
• David is a Mentor and Coach for GLEAC. Watch his ‘hot seat’ interview on Cognitive Diversity here. Read more about his work with GLEAC here
• Watch David’s ‘Laugh out Loud’ speech at Toastmasters 107 Madrid Fall Summit 2023 here
• Watch David singing in a restaurant here
• Look at David’s YouTube channel here
• See David in explain Colour Profiling here
• Read his article for #TrustedMagazine about his career and shift from IT to People here
• Watch David’s interview ‘Crisis to Crushin’ it’ with Noel Ingram here
• Listen to “Behind the Scenes of Corporate Training’ podcast with Ian Gibbs here
• Listen to this podcast recorded with Joe Diminio in Kansas USA
• See also https://speakerhub.com/speaker/david-rigby
• David is a member of Professional Speakers Association – https://psa-spain.com/members

Client history and assignments include: Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona | Wood Madrid | Abu Dhabi Municipality | Abu Dhabi University | Middlesex  University Dubai | Bath and NE Somerset Council | Kuwait Petroleum | Crisalida Spa Spain | Telecom Italia | Google | Citibank US | ABN AMRO Hong Kong | Nynex US | Volkswagen FS | NHS |  Companies House | Al Mourj Oman | Malaysian Electricity Kuala Lumpur | ArRiyadh Development Authority | DEWA | ADNOC | Aramco | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Dammam KSA | Dubai Chamber of Commerce | AMMROC | Whites Riyadh | Skills International Kuwait | National Electronic Security Authority | Rolaco Jeddah KSA | GlobalFocus Kenya  | Baker Tilly Kuwait | Leoron Ghana  | Marcus Evans | Standard Chartered Bank Singapore | Lloyds | UK Stock Exchange | Aviva | William Mercer |  Somerset District Council| Sedgefield Borough Council | Qinetiq | BT | Danish Stock Exchange | Ernst & Young | Shell | Serco.

LinkedIn

Approach & Benefits

David coaches leaders to understand their capabilities and leadership styles and to put these to best benefit in their organisations.  He coaches businesses to grow and identify opportunities for success, individuals to fully realise their potential, either for personal development or for career progression and teams to collaborate better and improve output and productivity. He uses positive psychology and resilience techniques to enable clients to become more confident and focused and to overcome their barriers to success.

The benefits of David’s approach include:

• Seeing the possibilities within each individual client
• Providing his clients with a sounding board to develop their potential.
• Uses behavioural preference profiling as an approach to Emotional Intelligence and Communication
• Managing challenges and change
• Focusing on managing change, overcoming challenges and moving into solutions
• Understanding process and strategy to maximise opportunities
• Developing leadership styles that align with organisational values
• Building better communications between individuals, stakeholders and organisations.

Selected Testimonials

Watch video testimonial from Josie Pont here

“It was a very enlightening experience to understand myself more as a professional and understand my team better to support and enhance their skills” “My compliments to Mr. Rigby for his ability to deal with the challenges of a multi-cultural class ” “This training was great step in my life” “You can learn from him just by listening to him speaking” “ Delivery was fantastic/ delivery was exceptional”. Various training delegates

“The session with David was very useful. From the first moment he was interested in improving or deepening the aspects that I considered most important. After telling him what my priorities were, he quickly detected my weak points and we went on to work on them. Really the recommendations and indications you have given me are going to be of great use. I totally recommend it to anyone, whether you want to improve from a basic level or if you want to improve to a senior level.” – Client on Presentation Skills Training Barcelona

“It’s great to feel your energy and to know the myriad talents you use to develop people. Inspiring!!” – Coach Barcelona

“I like you because you are generous, funny and for your young improv energy. You also adore the work I do- and this feels fantastic- to be appreciated and recommended” Improv Trainer Barcelona.

“We all absolutely enjoyed David’s presentations. Without question, David is a very effective educator, coach, and speaker. He presented at the recent Student Career Development Conference 2015 at Abu Dhabi University. David’s delivery was very engaging and he presented it in a way that everyone in the audience of 500 could understand”. Career Development Manager at Abu Dhabi University

“It was an honour working with David and watch him engaging people to build their personalities through his bright advices. David is a great leader yet a reliable coach who can help people to find themselves again. Thanks David for all the enlightenments“. Simultaneous Translator UAE

“David ran an excellent course on the International Certification in Advanced Leadership Skills programme. He used his professional depth and business breath to great effect, leveraging a unique interpersonal style that made for fun learning. Well done David.”. Chief Executive Officer Braincraft Ltd Nigeria

“David has a kind, yet fervent nomadic soul .. Great interview.” Podcast interview by Joe Dominio for Neon Jazz Interviews, Kansas City USA

“Swim in a different pool” these words stay in my mind. When I met David, he reminded me not to be afraid to swim in a different pool meaning to totally change direction in my career and do something new. Well, I have been fulfilling my passion in hotel industry in a few different fields from the start and once again I am now swimming in a different pool. Thanks David.” HR & Training Manager at Novotel & Ibis Abu Dhabi Hotels

“David was our instructor in a course about customer focus. He is a well organised person. He also has a long experience that you can learn from him by just listening to him speaking. We had great two days course with him!”” Khalid Abdelgadir Jeddah KSA

“David is perceptive where others miss things. If the situation is ambiguous, he will help frame it. If there is a question on where to go next, David is able to come up with a creative plan that is very much out of the box. In other words, there is an enlightened thinker who is able to think strategically and come up with next steps. David is top notch and I am grateful for his insights and thoughts. An asset to any client.” Journalist, International Business/Policy Strategist, Communications Consultant

“David has been guiding me through a career change. David communicates easily and well, establishing excellent rapport very quickly to ensure maximum value from contact sessions. I can recommend David very highly” VOSA/ Johnson Controls Limited, based at BBC Regional Account Director at JLL

“Coaching helped me to focus on myself for once and gave me an opportunity to reflect, and talk through issues which I have kept to myself. David was an interested listener. There was a high element of empathy. David and I set realistic targets, It also helped improve my self-image.” Director, Westlake-Evans.

Testimonials from associates

“David sent me to Saudi Arabia; he believed in me from day one. He only encourages me; he has a generous, fun, smart mind that finds good people wherever he goes- and everywhere he goes people smile. He has collected a great group of associates from around the world. He knows so many people- I just tell him which city and he tells me who to contact for a good time. He just delivered a session at our 16th edition of Change Days Un-conference and I have seen him perform at various events in our communities. He is honest, fair and kind. What more could one want in a friend and boss. AND This guy who accepts me the way I am and even sends my craziness to Saudi Arabia to inspire women to become leaders. He believed in me when I didn’t know I had what it takes to be a global trainer. Most older men are scared that I’m going to make them do something too spontaneous, make them improvise,
make them laugh, And.. maybe lose a little bit of status, But my friend and kinda boss- understands that the closest point between two people is laughter. David Rigby and I laugh a lot ”. Jessica Breitenfeld  

“Thank you David thanks for all your great Media coaching !” Helen Morris

“I’ve known David for a couple of years now, originally through PSA Spain and then as one of my Learning Club members. David is the founding director of Smart Coaching & Training, managing a team of associates across multiple countries with over 25 years of experience in training and development. What sets David apart is his ability to network. He’s outstanding and whatever sort of person you need for help, David seems to know them. He takes genuine interest in other people and has a great people skills including being a good listener, empathy and communication. He also brings along his own unique style of provocative humour and a penchant for singing and dancing when he gets the opportunity. The combination of David’s skills and experience make him a great speaker, team member and go-to person for anyone needing help.” Ian Gibbs

Training Courses and Conference Presentations

• David has the delivered the majority of the 15 SCT Signature Corporate Training course and at least 18 client specific trainings to clients such as Altayer, Petroleum Institute, King Abdulaziz Medical City (Jeddah), Al Hosn Gas; ADNOC, CIGDubai; National Drilling Company; Fahad Bin Sultan University; Kuwait Petroleum; Novotel; Stanbic,
• Conference presentations: TTMM Bahrain, Centre for Leadership & Excellence, Abu Dhabi University, Monstergulf, Middlesex University Dubai, Forever Living, Pinnacle Middle East, Change Conference Kuwait, HR Development in Middle East Kuwait.

Other Activities and Contributions

Among his other projects David has managed 100 staff in a six-year programme for a government agency to replace core systems, rescued a floundering programme setting up a Call Centre in India for insurance in a major UK bank, lead 3 Business Process Re-engineering programmes for UK local authorities, As-is & To-be modelling and managed process improvement for a car loans company yielding savings of 20% and reduced processing time.  In Riyadh he has lead multinational teams for government related strategy projects, urban regeneration, public-private enterprise, social housing, and executive education.

With a focus on customer relations he was Customer Services Interim Team Lead for UAE Western Region Municipality and at Abu Dhabi Municipality and managed the BPR component for Customer Services, developing frameworks to deliver customer service via any media and one-stop-shops to improve the customer journey using CRM.

David held the post of Chair of the Institute of Consulting UK South West region which ran around 20 events per year.