ABOUT JULIAN HITCH
“Julian is like Liam Neeson in Taken - he has a very particular set of skills.”
Exploring mastery, leadership and performance in complex environments.
Julian Hitch is a leadership advisor, coach and speaker, and a leading authority on mastery. His work focuses on how individuals and organisations think clearly, act decisively and perform effectively under pressure.
He works with founders, CEOs and senior teams across global companies, scale-ups, universities and public institutions - helping leaders develop sharper judgement, stronger decision-making and greater clarity in complex situations.
Julian’s clients include:
What Drives the Work
Two questions have consistently shaped Julian’s work.
The first is how capability develops - how individuals and organisations learn, adapt and improve. Why do some progress rapidly, while others repeat patterns that limit performance?
The second is a question of responsibility. If knowledge and experience can be developed, how should they be used? What does it mean to contribute in a way that is both effective and enduring?
These questions underpin Julian’s work across leadership, culture and performance - with a focus on helping people think more clearly, learn more effectively and apply what they know in meaningful ways.
“Julian is one of those rare people who can both do it and teach it.”
Martial Arts and the Study of Mastery
Julian’s lifelong exploration of mastery began through martial arts.
He is a Master of Wing Tsun Kung Fu and has spent more than twenty-seven years studying and teaching the system, training thousands of students and qualifying over one hundred instructors.
He became the youngest person in the Uk to open a Wing Tsun, aged 18 years old. At 24 years old he had gone on to become youngest in the world to achieve 4th Technician grade (5th Dan). Julian has performed and taught internationally - including demonstrations inside the Forbidden City in Beijing and on stage at the Shaolin Temple.
He has also worked with military personnel, special forces and elite athletes, and has set multiple Guinness World Records through endurance and performance. Wing Tsun’s principle of achieving maximum effect with minimum force continues to shape his approach to leadership, decision-making and performance.
“I was incredibly impressed with the course content, attention to detail and professional delivery. ”
Leadership and Organisational Work
Alongside martial arts, Julian has spent many years advising organisations and leadership teams.
His work focuses on helping individuals and teams think clearly under pressure, strengthen leadership capability, navigate complexity and improve decision-making and performance.
He has advised leaders and teams from organisations including LEON Restaurants, Oxford University, Warner Music, Giorgio Armani, Depop and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as organisations such as Lidl, Giffgaff, University of Law and Department of Science, Innovation & Technology.
Writing and Thought Leadership
Julian is the co-author of the bestselling book Winning Not Fighting, written with John Vincent, co-founder of LEON Restaurants.
The book explores how principles drawn from martial arts can be applied to leadership, negotiation and business - showing how clarity of thinking and intelligent strategy often outperform force.
He writes and speaks regularly on mastery, accelerated learning, leadership and human performance.
““A wondrous book… eye-opening ideas that won’t fail to intrigue anyone interested in a more mindful and humane business world.” ”
Selected Career Highlights
Director of Well-Being, LEON Restaurants
Chief Culture & Mindset Officer, GrowUp Farms
Founder, British Wing Tsun Association
Educated in History (UCL) and Law (University of Law)
Guinness World Record holder
Taught and performed internationally, including the Shaolin Temple
Advisor and facilitator for organisations including global brands, scale-ups and public sector teams
Perspective
Julian’s work draws on multiple disciplines - including martial arts, philosophy, psychology and organisational leadership. The aim is clarity: helping individuals and organisations see situations more clearly and act more effectively.
Julian has appeared across major media and documentary productions, including BBC, ITV, Channel 5, Sky and CNBC, with coverage in The Financial Times, Forbes and The Times.
““Julian is like an old-school Victorian polymath — someone with deep expertise across multiple domains, yet able to communicate complex ideas with remarkable clarity.””
Connect with Julian
If you’d like to explore advisory, coaching, consultancy or workshops, get in touch.