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FOUNDER · TEAM8 PEOPLE

Bo Hanson

Four-time Olympic representative for Australia. Three-time Olympic medalist. Founder of Team8 People. Coaching consultant, keynote speaker, and expert on the people side of performance.

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performance through people

About Bo Hanson

Bo Hanson is an Olympic rower turned team, leadership, and coaching consultant, keynote speaker, and business founder. Over the last three decades, he has worked with more than 100,000 coaches, athletes, and professionals across 40+ sports and leading organizations worldwide.

 

Utilizing his personal experience from four Olympic appearances, combined with his training and development qualifications, Bo founded Team8 People in 2004 and Athlete Assessments in 2007. Bo’s skill in improving the coaching strategies and performance of his clients has resulted in over 23 national championships, Olympic medals, and pro team premierships, alongside transformations in organizational performance. In 2023, Bo was named the Australian Institute of Training & Development’s (AITD) National Learning & Development Professional of the Year, recognizing his ability to translate performance principles across different contexts.

 

In July 2026, Athlete Assessments and Team8 People merged to form today’s Team8 People — a global performance consultancy where Bo now serves as Founder. Prior to the merger, Bo led the design and delivery of programs across both companies. His expertise now sits under one unified brand spanning sport, business, education, and tactical environments worldwide. In addition to his work in sport, Bo has taken the principles and strategies of high-performance sport and applied them to the mining and resources industry within Australia. Clients have achieved unprecedented improvements in production and safety measures, through the implementation of team membership and leadership development programs.

 

In just a few years, Team8 People has grown to be the sought after performance consultants in the industry. Using specific and tailored programs, Team8 People takes the values, organizational strategies, and goals typically set by executives, and translates them into a practical, action-based format. The focus is on ensuring every person within the company understands ‘What Winning Looks Like’ and how their role contributes towards achieving these outcomes and living the values, from frontline operators through to senior leadership.

 

Long-standing working relationships and consistently high-quality feedback from his clients are testimony to Bo’s ability to understand, connect, design, and deliver exceptional work.

"Sport is played by people, coached by people, and managed by people, so it's imperative to get the people side right. And business is no different."
- Bo Hanson
Olympic representative for Australia
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Olympic Bronze Medallist
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Years of applied behavioral development experience
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National & internaltional Championships, Olympic medals & Pro team Premierships
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Coaches, athletes, and professionals developed
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sports served
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teams worked with
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international conference keynotes delivered
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FOUR GAMES. THREE MEDALS.

Bo Hanson's Olympic Career

Bo’s Olympic career began in 1992, when at just 18 years old he became Australia’s youngest rower to compete at the Barcelona Olympic Games. He returned to the Olympic Games in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney), and 2004 (Athens) winning bronze medals at each of those three Games as part of Australia’s men’s rowing crews.

 

During his Olympic career, Bo studied at the University of Technology Sydney and began his 25+ years of experience in corporate training, development, and facilitation, forming the foundation that would later become his post-Olympic career.

Sporting Achievements

  • Four-time Olympic Representative for Australia (rowing) — 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
  • Three-time Olympic Bronze Medalist — Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004
  • Australia's youngest rower to compete at the Olympic Games — Barcelona 1992, age 18
  • Inducted as a 'Legend of State High' — Brisbane State High School alumni recognition, 2021
1992
BARCELONA

AGE 18 - DEBUT

1996
ATLANTA

BRONZE

2000
SYDNEY

BRONZE

2004
ATHENS

BRONZE

Expertise

Getting the People Side of Performance Right

At the core of Bo’s work today is applied behavioral development — helping people, teams, and organizations understand themselves and each other to achieve sustained performance.

Areas of expertise

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Developed the world’s only statistically validated and reliable DISC assessment specifically for sport (AthleteDISCTM, CoachDISCTM, Sports ManagerDISCTM), as well as a range of tailored DISC Profiles for business, education, and tactical environments (The Team8 DISCTM, TeacherDISCTM, TacticalDISCTM). With more than 25 years experience applying DISC across contexts, Bo continues to lead the training and accreditation of others in the use of Team8 People’s suite of DISC Profiles, having trained hundreds of DISC practitioners worldwide.

Trained in the Emotional Competence Inventory 360 (ECI 360) and developing Team8 People’s Emotional Intelligence 360 tool (EI 360) which launched in 2026.

25+ years developing coaches, athlete leaders, and organizational leaders across sport, business, and beyond.

Practical work with 1,000+ teams in:

  • Behavioral awareness
  • Team dynamics
  • Applied performance under pressure.

Cross-sector applied practice, bringing sport-performance methodology into professional and organizational contexts.

Accreditations & qualifications

  • Trained and Accredited in DISC Profiling, with more than 25 years’ experience actively using and applying DISC
  • Accredited in the Emotional Competence Inventory 360 (ECI 360)
  • Accredited in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
  • University of Technology Sydney

Awards & Nominations

  • Winner: Dr Alastair Rylatt Award for L&D Professional of the Year — AITD 2023 Excellence Awards
  • Finalist: AITD 2023 Award for Best Capability Building Program (Elite Team Program)
Learn more about Bo’s work through Team8 People
The people side of performance

Keynote Speaking

Bo is a highly regarded keynote speaker on the people side of performance. He has delivered over 100 international conference keynotes on sport, business, and leadership.

 

His presentations draw unique parallels between elite sport and high-performance organizations. Using behavioral profiling and real-world experience, he offers a modern approach to coaching, leadership, and performance that helps teams achieve lasting success.

 

With practical experience working with more than 1,000 teams, Bo discusses the behaviors of the most successful teams and athletes, and identifies how to prevent teams, organizations, and programs from being derailed by ‘people issues’.

Enquire about having Bo as a speaker
View Keynote Topics

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  • AFL High Performance Coaching Program
  • Alliance of Women Coaches (The Huddle)
  • American Baseball Coaches Association Conference
  • American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention
  • ARU High Performance Coaching Course
  • Australian Football League Coaches Conference
  • Australian Swimming Coaches Conference
  • Cricket Australia Emerging Umpires Program
  • Collegiate Golf Coaches Association of America
  • Evolution of the Athlete Conference
  • FFA Professional Coaches Program
  • Intercollegiate Tennis Association Coaches Convention
  • National Fastpitch Coaches Association Conference
  • National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention
  • NCAA Women Coaches Academy
  • Netball NSW Conference
  • Notre Dame Annual Leadership Conference
  • NRL High Performance Coaches Conference
  • NSW Gymnastic Conference
  • Rowing Australia Coaches Conference
  • USA National Coaching Conference
  • US Lacrosse Conference
  • US Rowing Convention
  • Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Convention
  • Performance Through People — behavioral development as the foundation for sustained performance
  • The People Side of Winning — Olympic lessons for business and leadership
  • Coaching the Modern Athlete — developing leaders for today's generation
  • Building Athlete Toughness — behavioral resilience under pressure
  • DISC in Action — how to lead people who don't think or work like you do
  • Culture Change That Sticks — from aspirational values to operational behavior
clients from across the globe

Select Client Work

Bo has worked with over 100,000 coaches, athletes, and professionals across 40+ sports and 1,000+ teams globally.

1

Sport clients

  • Olympic and Paralympic Programs across multiple nations
  • Professional sport teams and franchises across the AFL, NRL, US collegiate and pro sport
  • NCAA Division I Athletic Departments
  • National sport governing bodies and coach education programs
  • Sport psychologists, Certified Mental Performance Consultants (CMPCs), and coach developers
2

Business, education & tactical clients

  • Mining and resources organizations
  • Global financial services and professional services firms
  • Small to medium enterprises
  • Universities, independent, and public schools
  • Emergency services and defense organizations
  • Sole-operators and consultants delivering their own work and expertise within their chosen sector
Trusted by Championship Coaches & Leading Organizations Worldwide

Hear From Clients

"An article in USA Rowing on the topic of synergy caught my attention. As I started to read it, I immediately searched to the end to contact the author, and found that it was Bo Hanson. We had been so close in three previous championship games, and I knew this was the missing link. It was through Bo's assistance that we found a way to get closer to team synergy. He helped us look deeply into the mirror and build honesty with one another. Ultimately, the trust we created was what provided immense value to the end result."
Tim O'Brien
Tim O'BrienHead Coach, Saint Mary's College of California Rugby Team (2024, 2017, 2015, and 2014 D1A National Champions)
"Working with Athlete Assessments and using their DISC Profiles has been revolutionary. Knowledge is key and we should never stop learning. Working with Bo and Liz has been a fantastic experience not only for me, but for the entire team. Our players have gained so much from learning about their own profiles and those of the rest of the team. It helped shape the culture and environment on our team."
Roland Thornqvist
Roland ThornqvistHead Women's Tennis Coach, University of Florida (4x National Champions)
"We completely attribute the staff dynamic success to working with Bo Hanson. Through this understanding and the guidance of Bo, we have been able to better connect with our athletes and have more effective communication to get the very best out of each athlete that is possible. The drama is minimized, the culture is clean, and our athletes know exactly what is expected of them. It has been the best investment we could ever make in our team."
Deanna Gumpf
Deanna GumpfHead Softball Coach, University of Notre Dame (NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year, 2014, 2016, 2017)
"Bo and Athlete Assessments were an invaluable tool for me as a new Coach with a new group. Working with them gave me the confidence to see that my natural behaviors were strengths and that they were supported by my Coaches and team. It allowed me to make quicker connections with the athletes, understand how to best communicate with them and understand everyone as individuals."
Elissa Kent
Elissa KentHead Coach, Melbourne University Lightning Women's Championship Netball Team
“The DISC professional development session facilitated by Bo was engaging, insightful, and highly relevant to our Leadership Team. Bo quickly connected each team member’s DISC Profile to real workplace behaviours and dynamics, creating immediate understanding and practical application within the group. One of the standout elements was the facilitation of our “What Winning Looks Like” session, which provided meaningful direction to guide and support our growth into FY27 and beyond. The session created strong alignment across our leadership group, encouraged open communication, and left the team energised and focused.”
Sally MetcalfDirector of People and Culture, Australian Paramedical College
“Participating in the Team8 People DISC accreditation and assessment process was a genuinely enjoyable and rewarding experience. Bo Hanson’s approach brought an exceptional level of personalisation. He took the time to understand my specific context, tailoring every conversation and activity to my real-world needs as a learning and organisational development professional. It’s rare to encounter this level of quality and care from both the facilitator and the support team, and I would wholeheartedly recommend Team8 People to anyone seeking practical, people-focused development solutions.”
paige gourley learning and organisational development business partner, cassowary coast regional council
Paige GourleyLearning and Organizational Development Business Partner, Cassowary Coast Regional Council
“I thoroughly enjoyed the process of becoming an accredited DISC facilitator through Team8. The training was insightful, reflective, and empowering. My deepened understanding of DISC will not only enhance how I connect with and support others in my professional role but also help individuals leverage their Behavioural strengths for greater success. I now feel more equipped and am excited to integrate DISC into my career coaching and workshop initiatives to drive meaningful outcomes. Bo delivered engaging, thoughtful, and well-structured sessions that made the learning process both enjoyable and impactful.”
Katie Thomson
Katie ThomsonAssociate Director, Career Management & Career Education

Contact Bo Hanson

For keynote speaking, consulting engagements, or media enquiries please get in touch.

Email

coach@team8people.com

Websites

Team8 People – Global: www.team8people.com

Team8 People – Australia: www.team8.com.au

Phone

United States: (+1) 760 742 5177

Australia: (+61) 07 3102 5333

United Kingdom: (+44) 20 7193 4575

Address

Head Office: Office 11, 5th Floor, 182 Bay Terrace, Wynnum QLD 4178 Australia

Postal Address: PO Box 5782, Manly QLD 4179 Australia