Tim Sebastian is Chairman of The New Arab Debates, currently broadcast and distributed world-wide on Deutsche Welle TV. He previously founded The Doha Debates which have been broadcast continuously on BBC World since 2004. Tim Sebastian also presented HARDtalk, the BBC’s renowned daily half-hour interview programme. For HARDtalk, he... Read more
Tim Sebastian is Chairman of The New Arab Debates, currently broadcast and distributed world-wide on Deutsche Welle TV. He previously founded The Doha Debates which have been broadcast continuously on BBC World since 2004.
Tim Sebastian also presented HARDtalk, the BBC’s renowned daily half-hour interview programme. For HARDtalk, he traveled to many countries around the world including Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Middle East and the USA, interviewing presidents, prime ministers and kings, as well as authors, actors and musicians. He also presented the Outsider Debates (2012), recorded in India and screened on Bloomberg TV.
Sebastian received the Royal Television Society’s “Interviewer of the Year” Award in 2000 and 2001, and won the “Richard Dimbleby Award” at BAFTA and was also named “Television Journalist of the Year” by the Royal Television Society.
A best-selling author, he has written eight novels and two non-fiction books. He has written widely for newspapers including the Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times and the New York Times. He also chairs conferences and seminars, and has a wealth of experience hosting events and award ceremonies, both at home and abroad.
Sebastian holds a BA Honours degree in modern languages from Oxford University and speaks Russian and German. He began his career as a foreign correspondent in Warsaw, covering the Solidarity revolution, before becoming the BBC’s Europe Correspondent in 1982 and Moscow Correspondent in 1984. A year later he was expelled by the Soviet authorities and sent to Washington until 1989.
In 2015 Tim Sebastian was elected a Fellow Commoner at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge to serve during the academic year 2015-16.
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You can book Tim Sebastian through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Tim's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Tim Sebastian's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Tim tailored to your event.
Tim Sebastian speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Tim to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Tim Sebastian for events worldwide, subject to Tim's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Tim Sebastian is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Tim can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Tim Sebastian on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Tim can offer.
Tim Sebastian delivers keynotes in German. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Tim Sebastian's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of Tim's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Tim Sebastian can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of Tim's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Tim Sebastian is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Tim Sebastian, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Tim's current availability for your dates.