Marc Kennedy

In curling, the difference between winning and losing can come down to a fraction of an inch, one breath, one decision, or one moment of focus under enormous pressure. Few athletes understand that better than Marc Kennedy. In this keynote, Marc takes audiences inside the mindset, habits, preparation, and team dynamics required to perform when the stakes are highest. Drawing from four Olympic Games, multiple world championships, Brier victories, and decades of elite competition, Marc explores what it takes to stay composed when the outcome matters, the pressure is visible, and there is no room to hide. This is a keynote about more than sport. It is about preparation before pressure, trust during pressure, and recovery after pressure. Marc shows audiences how elite performers build confidence before the moment arrives, how they manage nerves without pretending pressure does not exist, and how they execute when the room, the team, or the country is counting on them. Key themes: • Performing under pressure when the margin for error is tiny • Building routines that create confidence before the big moment • Staying clear and composed when pressure, noise, and expectation rise • Why preparation, communication, and trust matter more than talent alone • How to reset quickly after mistakes and stay useful to the team Best for: sales teams, leadership conferences, executive retreats, high-performance cultures, annual meetings, competitive industries.

No Olympic medal is won alone. Behind every shot is a system of communication, role clarity, trust, conflict, preparation, and shared accountability. Marc Kennedy has spent his career inside some of the most successful teams in Canadian curling - and has had to adapt across different lineups, leaders, personalities, and competitive cycles. In this keynote, Marc shares what elite team environments can teach organizations about leadership. He explores how great teams create trust before they need it, how leaders manage pressure without transferring panic, and how high-performing groups stay aligned even when the stakes are high and the path keeps changing. Marc’s career gives him a rare vantage point: he has played with iconic skips, shifted roles, joined new teams, contributed as both a starter and an alternate, and helped teams win from different positions. His message is especially useful for organizations that want to strengthen culture, improve communication, and build teams that can handle both success and adversity. Key themes: • What great teams do before the pressure hits • How role clarity creates confidence and reduces friction • Leadership without ego: contributing from wherever the team needs you • Building trust through communication, consistency, and accountability • How to challenge teammates while still protecting the team culture Best for: leadership teams, management retreats, corporate culture events, team offsites, organizations navigating change.

Marc Kennedy’s career has not been a straight line of podiums and victories. It has included injuries, Olympic heartbreak, team changes, time away from the game, evolving roles, and the challenge of proving himself again in a sport that keeps getting younger, faster, and more competitive. After PyeongChang 2018, where his team finished fourth, Marc stepped back from competitive curling to heal injuries and focus on family. He later returned, joined new teams, contributed to another Olympic medal in Beijing, helped Team Jacobs become Brier champions and world bronze medallists in 2025, and was part of Canada’s return to Olympic gold in men’s curling at Milano Cortina 2026. In this keynote, Marc speaks to the reality of setbacks: they are frustrating, humbling, and often unfair — but they can also become turning points. He shares how to reassess, rebuild, accept a new role, stay ready, and keep belief alive when the next opportunity is not guaranteed. This is a grounded resilience keynote for people and organizations facing change, disappointment, transition, or pressure to start again. Key themes: • How to recover from disappointment without being defined by it • Rebuilding confidence after injury, loss, or career uncertainty • Adapting to new roles, new teams, and new expectations • Staying ready when your opportunity is not guaranteed • Turning setbacks into perspective, maturity, and renewed performance Best for: change management events, resilience keynotes, leadership conferences, sports/business crossover audiences, organizations facing disruption.

Marc Kennedy’s career is not just about reaching the top — it is about staying relevant at the top across decades. From Vancouver 2010 to Milano Cortina 2026, Marc has competed through major shifts in the sport, team structures, physical demands, public expectations, and personal priorities. This keynote focuses on sustained excellence: how to evolve without losing your edge, how to stay hungry after success, and how to keep improving when experience can become either an advantage or a trap. Marc shares lessons on preparation, humility, adaptability, and the discipline required to remain competitive long after the first big win. Best for: senior leadership, long-tenured teams, professional associations, entrepreneur audiences, companies focused on growth and reinvention.