VIP Speakers and Strategic Relationships Lead

Overview

Role: VIP Speakers and Strategic Relationships Lead, Founders Forum Group / Office of Brent Hoberman

Location: London, UK (Hybrid: Mon-Thurs in office, Fridays WFH)

Founders Forum Group (FFG) is hiring a high-agency, relationship-obsessed operator to join as a pivotal team member in both FFG and the Office of Brent Hoberman (Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of Founders Forum Group, firstminute capital & Founders Factory). Working as a trusted extension of Brent's office, you'll be embedded within the Founders Forum ecosystem - operating closely with Brent and collaborating hand-in-glove with our Content, Community and Event Production teams.

As the VIP Speakers & Strategic Relationships Lead, you'll drive speaker strategy and high-level relationship management for Founders Forum's flagship gatherings and special projects steered by Brent. This role is uniquely positioned at the heart of both the group and Brent's day-to-day operations, ensuring a gold-standard experience for keynotes, world-class speakers, and VIPs - from global tech founders and Fortune 100 CEOs to cultural icons and heads of state.

We've hosted many of the world's most influential leaders at our events - founders like Elon Musk, Daniel Ek, Sir Demis Hassabis, Sir Richard Branson, Dylan Field and Evan Spiegel; global CEOs and investors including Eric Schmidt, Jamie Dimon, Sheryl Sandberg, Sir Michael Moritz, Rene Haas, and Ben Horowitz; and leaders and cultural icons such as President Emmanuel Macron, HRH The Prince of Wales, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, Sir Jony Ive, Emma Watson, Sacha Baron Cohen, James Corden, Lando Norris, and Sir Mo Farah - earning us nicknames like "Glastonbury for Founders" and "Digital Davos."

This is a highly entrepreneurial role for someone with a love of tech, exceptional hustle, and a track record of building senior relationships. You'll combine creative outreach and dealmaking with white-glove stewardship, acting as a trusted extension of Brent's office and a force-multiplier across the Founders Forum ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Pipeline Ownership: Lead the global pipeline of top-tier speakers & VIPs across FFG's priority events, mapping power networks and unlocking paths to "yes" through FFG's ecosystem and Brent's personal networks.
• Creative dealmaking: Tailor compelling approaches, value propositions, and bespoke outreach for world-class prospects, working directly with Brent where strategic intervention is needed.
• Multi-channel outreach: Leverage warm intros from across FFG and Brent's advisory circle, the partnership team, LPs, founders, elite agents, and more - delivering senior, outcome-focused, and high-conversion communication.
• VIP experience: Deliver white-glove, end-to-end handling of principals and their teams, marshalling tight security, logistics, briefings, and on-site management - anticipating needs and acting as a problem-solver for our most important guests.
• Content & agenda alignment: Partner closely with the Content & Program Team to align speakers with agenda arcs and themes and develop innovative stage formats - crafting moments with high impact, resonance, and editorial integrity.
• Partnerships and Ecosystem Leverage: Activate relationships with tech leaders, funds, corporates, governments, and cultural institutions to unlock speaker access.
• Research and Intelligence: Maintain a dynamic map of relevant networks - including EAs, comms teams, policy staff, and key gatekeepers - to spot timely opportunities, track moves, and build backstage rapport.

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years in a relationship-driven role with senior stakeholder exposure (e.g., event/conference production, journalist, VIP relations, chief of staff/EA to a principal, investor relations, strategic partnerships, agency/talent, government relations, or high-end concierge/hospitality).
• Demonstrable success securing senior speakers, talent, or strategic meetings; strong references for judgment, discretion, and delivery under pressure.
• A genuine love of tech and startups; you track the ecosystem and can speak credibly to frontier themes (e.g. AI, climate tech, biotech, fintech, defence tech, policy).
• Elite relationship-building skills: you earn trust quickly with principals and gatekeepers; you're respectful, persistent, and outcome-oriented.
• Creative dealmaking instinct: inventive hooks, tailored pitches, and smart sequencing of intros to unlock hard-to-reach people.
• Operational excellence: meticulous logistics, clear comms, fast follow-through, and on-site calm when the stakes are highest.
• Excellent written communication - concise, senior, and on-brand.
• Low-ego: you bring a "no task is too small or big" mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with high-profile principals, family offices, agents, or government leaders.
• Familiarity with the global tech and investor landscape, especially in the UK, US, and Europe.
• Comfortable using CRM tools and light research tooling; strong note discipline and pipeline hygiene.

FF DNA We Value

• Community first
• Entrepreneurial to our core
• Founding the future
• Excellence without ego

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus enhanced discretionary leave (including birthday and Christmas - New Year)
• Option to work remotely anywhere in the world for 3 weeks/year (1 at Easter, 2 in July/August)
• AXA Health insurance (option to add dependents), Life Insurance, AIG Smart Health
• Employee Assistance Program
• Competitive pension
• Perkbox membership
• Learning and development allowance
• Cycle to work scheme
• Weekly team lunch, office snacks, regular team drinks
• Quarterly team activities and annual team trip/day out
• Access to the Founders Forum Group network and wider tech ecosystem