When the AfPP Annual National Conference opens its doors on Friday 8 August 2025 at the University of Warwick, it will be Ed Gillespie who sets the tone. With the overriding theme of the Conference ‘Leading the future of perioperative practice’ there is no one better placed to do just that.
Futurenaut, poet, systems thinker, and unapologetically honest truth-teller, Ed Gillespie will take to the stage to present his session, ‘State of Play: Leadership for the Future We Need’, an urgent, hopeful and transformative exploration of what leadership must look like in the face of global challenges.
Ed began his career in marine biology, working in fisheries. The early stages of that journey quickly brought a difficult realisation: “I was going to spend my life telling everyone that if you don’t stop catching all the fish, there won’t be any fish.” That realisation sparked a change in direction, from science to activism, and Ed went on to complete two Masters’ degrees: one in Marine Resource Development and Protection, and another in Leadership for Sustainable Development. These early academic and practical experiences laid the foundation for a career dedicated to systems change, sustainability, and responsible leadership.
Over the last two decades, Ed has become a powerful voice in climate, culture, and leadership spaces. He’s worked with institutions across the world, including Greenpeace UK, the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, and the Forward Institute, where he helps shape leadership programmes for 40 of the UK’s most influential organisations. A prolific speaker, he’s delivered hundreds of talks globally, from the United Nations and national governments to Fortune 500 companies, and is known for his raw, funny, and fearless approach.
At this year’s AfPP Conference, Ed will challenge perioperative professionals to consider their roles not just as clinicians, but as leaders of a better future. “Leadership isn’t about titles,” he says. “It’s about character – showing up with authenticity and kindness; context – deeply understanding the environment you’re in; and company – listening to a diverse range of perspectives. Good leadership is collective.”
That message couldn’t be more timely. As the climate crisis intensifies and global healthcare systems stretch to their limits, Ed argues that the NHS, as one of the world’s largest employers, has an extraordinary opportunity, and responsibility, to lead by example. “We need to think radically about prevention, not just cure,” he says. “Climate change is a health issue; the current heatwaves, for example, will see premature deaths rise. Everything is interconnected. It’s time leaders recognised and acted on that.”
He doesn’t shy away from hard truths. Ed highlights that achieving net zero emissions by 2050 isn’t a distant ideal, it’s a legal and moral necessity. “We need to reduce carbon emissions by 81% in the next 10 years. Right now, we’re off track, we’re in denial. We’re not seeing the organisational motivation or mobilisation needed. We need to act now.”
Yet, despite the gravity of the message, Ed is no cynic. As a single parent to an eight-year-old daughter, living in Norfolk, he remains firmly rooted in hope. “The world is in a mess, but there is so much light,” he says. “We need solidarity, accountability, and responsibility in everything we do, in our work and in our lives. We all have a role to play, and that means tapping into hearts and minds.”
Whether he’s addressing the ethics of pension fund investments in fossil fuels, calling for systemic change alongside lifestyle shifts, or dancing with the Old Glory Molly Dancers in East Anglia, Ed brings the same energy: radically honest, emotionally engaging, and laser-focused on change.
AfPP delegates can expect to be moved, challenged, and inspired. As co-host of popular podcasts, The Great Humbling and Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts, and author of Only Planet, the story of his flight-free circumnavigation of the globe, Ed has a talent for making complex problems accessible and personal. His magic lies in his ability to “say the unsayable”, articulating what many in the room may be feeling but struggle to express. That, as he puts it, “is where real change begins.”
Ed Gillespie’s keynote promises to leave delegates not only better informed, but galvanised, ready to think differently, lead courageously and act decisively in a time that demands nothing less.
Ticket sales for the AfPP Annual National Conference close on Wednesday 16 July. Don’t miss your chance to hear Ed Gillespie live and be part of this vital conversation. Visit https://conference.afpp.org.uk/packages-pricing/ to view packages and book your place.
Picture shows Ed.
