David Festenstein

David explains to audiences how he discovered seven key stages that enabled him to make a full recovery. These are reframe the experience, be grateful for what you have, hold your belief, have a vision, manage your mood, work with those supporting you and follow the process. David makes people reconsider their thinking when he details how they can use these seven stages in their own lives and in their places of work.

The powerful message coming across in Festenstein's presentation is that even when someone is faced with circumstances that seem insurmountable, focus and determination can enable them to defy the odds and turn their situation around in a positive way. Business figures lap up David's enthusiasm and his easy presentational style and he has appeared as a motivational speaker at many conferences – some of them with medically qualified delegates – and won accolades for his incredible story.

As well as being a professional speaker on issues as diverse as strokes and telemarketing, Festenstein is now a coach and communications specialist and author. He is also managing director of Teleopen Ltd and a master practitioner in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

“David is one of the most inspiring speakers I have heard in my clinical career.  He speaks from the heart and communicates with such a level of authenticity that he caused a paradigm shift in the way I view my patients and the world.  He has given me a renewed sense of purpose and hope at a time when the NHS is awash with demoralisation and constraint.  I truly believe that what David speaks about will empower patients and staff to trust themselves and bring their worlds together.” - Mr Hiro Tanaka, Clinical Director of Orthopaedics – Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board, Generation Q Health Foundation Fellow

‘David gave a presentation entitled ‘Make every call count’ at our Alumni Careers Day.  He proved to be an excellent motivational speaker, very quickly engaging with alumni at various different stages of their careers, giving them very specific advice and encouragement.  Our alumni feedback to his session was extremely positive.’  - Vivien Harrington, Director of Alumni Relations Cranfield School of Management