We understand the profound impact leaders can have both for better and for worse because we have walked in these shoes ourselves. Our journey began not in classrooms or boardrooms, but in the heat of high performance environments where the stakes were high requiring us to find a way to nothing less than global excellence. As leaders, we didn’t just guide teams, we cultivated environments and team cultures and led high performing organisations that competed and thrived on the world stage.
Our Journey Forged in Leadership
Along the way, we faced the full spectrum of leadership challenges head-on. From navigating adversity to making high-stakes decisions, we learned what it truly takes to inspire teams, overcome obstacles, and achieve greatness. These experiences didn’t just shape us as professionals; they transformed us as people, deepening our understanding of what leadership really means.
We have learned that leadership is as much about sacrifice as it is about success. The personal cost is often unseen, the sacrifices made by loved ones who stand behind the scenes while we strive to deliver at the highest level. It’s a reminder that leadership is not just about achieving results but about the responsibility we carry to those who we support and love.
For us one commitment has remained core to our values that is to lead with integrity, purpose and with a relentless focus on creating a positive, lasting impact. We believe in leadership that drives lasting change both within organisations, in our homes and in the world around us.
Today our joy is achieved through our work with leaders in business and in sport looking to achieve human potential in more sustainable high-performing environments.
The Team
Gary is the leading high performance advisor for business & sport across a diverse range of industries & sporting associations globally. Gary’s experience & achievements are unparalleled. He is a former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport & High Performance Director with the IABA’s High Performance Boxing Programme.
Gary was the driving force behind previously unseen success for Irish teams and athletes on European, World and Olympic stages. Gary previously sat on the IRFU National Professional Games Board and Chaired Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Advisory Group. He is currently the Performance Coach to Ireland’s Senior Men’s Rugby Team and the Cork Senior Men’s Hurling Team.
Outside of the sporting arena, Gary works with leading organisations, CEOs & Executive teams, enabling them to develop the same culture of winning that he has achieved with Olympians, professional sports teams, All Ireland & World Champions.
Gary lectured on Leadership, High Performance Systems, and Strategy at the London Business School, Smurfit Business School, and at the Irish Management Institute.
From sports stadiums to the boardroom, Gary’s unique thinking on high performance has inspired a culture of excellence in execution that is at the foundation of what Uppercut do. We continue to support, and to learn from, our valued clients for whom we will always be in their corner.
Graham has spent over two decades leading and coaching high performance teams on the world stage.
He is one of Ireland’s most decorated hockey players winning multiple All Irelands and European titles over two decades. Graham worked as an international hockey coach for 13 years coaching and leading teams at European, World and Olympic level. In 2018 Graham made history, becoming the first coach to bring an Irish team to a World Cup Final when he led the Ireland Women’s Hockey team to the World Cup Final. This achievement earned him the prestigious RTÉ ‘Manager of the Year’ award. Graham was the lead coach of the New Zealand hockey team & led the team to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Grahams seamlessly uses his intimate knowledge of what it takes to lead high performance teams and cultivate winning cultures including the challenges that entails. Graham is an elite high performance coach & practitioner & will elevate the performance of your team.
From a specialist training & development background, with over 20 years experience, Nicola is a resourceful, professional, highly motivated and organised person.
Nicola’s role at Uppercut is to provide and maintain our high standard of support to our clients. She supports our consultants throughout each project on all aspects of Learning & Development
Passionate about getting the job done right first time, Nicola ensures that the outcomes of our work for clients feeds into new research, methodologies, processes, and approaches to keep Uppercut at the forefront of high performance consultancy and practice.
With over 20 years of experience working in a number of industries, Caitríona now leads the Client Services team at Uppercut. As the Head of Client Services, she is responsible for overseeing the strategy, operations, and delivery of world-class support to our clients. Passionate about driving customer satisfaction & business development Caitríona ensures that clients receive personalised & elite service.
Before joining Uppercut, Caitríona held senior roles in Marketing & Finance where she optimised client support processes, and spearheaded initiatives that improved client experience & she has a broad perspective on client needs and expectations.
A strong advocate for continuous improvement, Caitríona fosters a culture of innovation within the Client Services team and ensures that the Upprcut stays at the forefront of industry best practices. She is committed to ensuring every client interaction is meaningful & efficient, striving to exceed expectations.
Outside of work, Caitríona is passionate about sport & is an active member in her local GAA club where she sits on the Club Executive as well as coaching a number of teams.
“In my 15 years on the Global circuit of High Performance Sport, I’ve yet to meet anyone to compare with Keegan’s ability to Lead, Strategise and improve performance.”
Billy Walsh
USA Boxing Head Coach
