Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE

Biography

About Lord Holmes

Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE is Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer, a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and a leading authority on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI). As a keynote speaker, Chris combines his remarkable life story with deep expertise in leadership, digital innovation, and policy.

After losing his sight at the age of 14, Chris defied expectations to dominate Paralympic swimming, winning nine gold, five silver, and one bronze medals across four Games. He broke 35 world records and remains one of Britain’s most decorated Paralympians. Beyond sport, he pursued a career in law and journalism, later becoming a commercial lawyer specialising in employment and pensions.

Chris played a pivotal role in delivering the record-breaking London 2012 Paralympic Games as Director of Paralympic Integration, helping to make them the first Paralympics to sell out every session and reach a global audience in the hundreds of millions. His leadership and vision helped redefine perceptions of disability sport worldwide.

In 2013, Chris was appointed a Life Peer in the House of Lords, where he focuses on digital innovation, AI governance, social mobility, and financial inclusion. A thought leader in AI policy, he introduced the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill in 2023, calling for a human-centred approach to AI governance. That same year, he was awarded the Alan Turing Award for his contributions to ethical AI and digital policy. His 2017 report, “DLT for Public Good”, remains an influential resource on blockchain and digital ledger technology.

Chris also serves as a Diversity Adviser to the Civil Service, a Non-Executive Director for UK Sport, and a patron of Help for Heroes, the Youth Sport Trust, and the British Paralympic Association.