Meet this UK-based international expert shaping the future of work. Discover strategic approaches to leadership, people teams, and workplace wellbeing to help your organisation thrive.
England
Europe
United Kingdom
Core Intelligence Domain: Mental Health & Workplace Well-being
Location: London, United Kingdom | Languages: English
Representation: Represented globally by PSpeakers Global Intelligence
Petra Velzeboer is a globally recognised mental health strategist, executive coach, and CEO of PVL, dedicated to dismantling toxic workplace cultures and equipping leadership teams with the tools to foster genuine psychological safety. Born into a notorious cult, Petra’s unparalleled personal journey from profound adversity to corporate advisory offers a deeply authentic perspective on resilience, behavioural change, and human optimisation in high-pressure environments. She leverages her unique background and clinical expertise as a qualified psychotherapist to challenge outdated corporate norms, guiding C-suite executives to implement proprietary frameworks that shift organisational mental health from a reactive liability to a proactive, strategic advantage.
As the founder of Petra Velzeboer Ltd, she has established herself as a trusted advisor to global enterprises. Petra’s methodology moves beyond superficial wellness initiatives, focusing instead on systemic, structural changes that foster accountability and performance. She works intimately with board members and HR directors to architect environments where employees can thrive without the looming threat of burnout. Her insights have proven instrumental for companies striving to enhance employee retention, drive innovation, and maintain operational excellence during periods of global uncertainty.
Petra is the acclaimed author of Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work, a foundational text that empowers individuals to take radical responsibility for their mental health within corporate structures. Furthermore, as the host of the highly rated Adversity to Advantage podcast, she regularly interviews global leaders, entrepreneurs, and thinkers, dissecting the mechanisms of overcoming trauma and harnessing it for exceptional professional success. Her thought leadership is frequently featured in major business publications, solidifying her status as a premier voice in the future of work.
Petra delivers high-impact keynotes and interactive masterclasses tailored to the specific needs of modern organisations. Her speaking portfolio encompasses:
Booking Petra Velzeboer guarantees an audience will leave equipped with a profound understanding of the intersection between mental health and corporate performance. She provides leaders with actionable, systemic frameworks to eradicate toxic behaviours, normalise conversations around mental well-being, and cultivate deeply resilient, high-performing teams. Her deeply moving personal narrative ensures that her strategic insights resonate on a profound human level, catalysing genuine, lasting cultural transformation within any organisation.
“Petra has been instrumental in helping me bring our wellbeing strategy to life. She delivered some brilliant training to our line managers and upskilled some employees to be our mental health ambassadors. Petra has also worked closely with some of our senior team coaching them and helping them reach their full potential. Over the last year, she has helped us introduce some really positive changes in the workplace, and i am extremely grateful.”
"Petra has worked with MVF to support our internal MH strategy. Through her tailored coaching sessions she builds a structured plan to achieve specific goals during the coaching period. The impact of my sessions with Petra has helped to build my confidence around language and in turn enabled me to create a space for open discussions about MH at MVF. Petra's style is direct and empathetic and her clinical support and advice offers an extra edge to the work you do with her. I highly recommend coaching sessions with Petra, whether you are just starting on your mental health strategy or looking to develop it further. "
“We invited Petra to speak at our Mental Health Awareness event on dealing with stress and were blown away by her incredible unique story and her authenticity. She is an accomplished presenter and coach who provided a tonne of practical advice on how to look after your mental health told through unforgettable stories and analogies. We’re now getting her back in to be part of our leadership development curriculum.”
“We wanted to close our conference with a memorable moment – and Petra delivered on an often-ignored issue: our mental health. With positive vibes, an energetic speech, get-together touchy moments and many wake-up calls, the participants were taken on an emotional roller-coaster of positive attitudes towards our… mind.”
“We wanted to hold a dynamic session on mental health that would really provide some valuable takeaways for staff during National Inclusion Week. Petra’s personality and down to earth nature helped to ensure her session really got through to our employees. We wouldn’t hesitate to work with Petra again and the feedback we have received following the session has been incredibly positive.”