Dr Joe Gaunt.
Health psychologist. Therapist. Operator. Founder. Father. Working at the intersection of business strategy, leadership, health psychology and AI.
Research-led. Experience-grounded. Outcome-focused.
Knowledge in action
The human at the centre of it.
A doctoral researcher, trained therapist and operator who has led businesses worth billions, Joe's working life has been spent at the intersection of human performance, behaviour and decision-making. Whether the question is psychological, commercial or technological, his answers tend to start in the same place: with the human at the centre of it.
He's a husband, a father of four, and a lifelong learner (currently trying to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). Behaviour change, high-performance behaviours, purpose, identity, helping others, the threads that run through his work and his life. Performance, he believes, is a human pursuit. His is no different.
Why Dr Joe
The intersection is where the work is.
Most advisors operate in one domain. A few span two. Few have built credible depth across business strategy, leadership, health psychology and AI in one practice.
Joe has. He understands that health, leadership and decision-making are inseparable. Healthy people with strong mindsets make better decisions. Strong leaders build cultures where those decisions happen by design.
Strategy without people fails.
Leadership without commercial reality stalls.
Performance without psychology rarely lasts.
And no decision in 2026 is untouched by AI.
Credentials
Walked the walk, married to academic rigour.
- Doctor of Health Psychology (DHealthPsych)
- Three-time leader of multi-billion-dollar valuation companies, with a $200m private equity exit
- 16 years as director, 12 years advising start-ups and scale-ups
- International experience across the UK, US, Asia, Australia and Europe
- Published author in The Palgrave Handbook of Consultancy in Health Psychology
- Advisor: MIT, Leeds University Business School, Virgin Start Up, Sheffield Hallam Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre
- Great British Entrepreneur Winner, Health & Wellbeing
Specialisms
Trained across health psychology, therapy and research.
Five core competencies
- Consultancy
- Behaviour change intervention design
- Teaching and training
- Professional skills
- Research
Therapy modalities
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Positive Psychology
- Socratic Questioning
Research focus areas
- Purpose and identity architecture in leaders
- Men's health and mental health for fathers in leadership
- Athletic mindset and life transitions
- AI applications in mental health and wellbeing
Research & publications
On the record.
- Evaluation: Improving Employee Health and WellbeingPublished chapter, The Palgrave Handbook of Consultancy in Health Psychology (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)
- Applications and Effectiveness of Generative AI in Supporting Mental WellbeingSystematic review submitted for publication, 2025
- Decoding Men's Health: Proactive Development and Wellbeing in Midlife Working FathersSubmitted for publication, 2025
- Uplifting Identity: Fitness Activities, Identity and Purpose in Gen Z and MillennialsSubmitted for publication, 2025
- Athletic Mindset and Life Purpose / TransitionsMaster's thesis with Distinction, 2021
Speaking topics
On the stage.
- Behaviour ChangeFrom the fundamentals of psychology and neurology, through to advanced psychotherapy-based techniques for embedded change.
- Finding Purpose and IdentitySelf, values, and the path to clarity in uncertain times.
- Men's HealthPsychological, physical and social wellbeing for the modern man.
- The High Performance ToolkitInsights, tools and lived practice from sport, leadership and business.
- The Healthy LeaderSustained performance and balance, in and out of the workplace.
Key roles & focus
Where Joe spends his time.
- Founder & CEO, Health Labs HQ
- Programme Lead, Entrepreneur Labs
- Chairman & Strategic Advisor to founder-led businesses across AI, health, technology, professional services and FMCG
- Co-Founder, UNIFY (men's health and wellbeing)
- Leads monthly AI Strategy Sessions for founders and CEOs
In their words
What leaders say about working with Joe.
"Joe is a leader who's walked the walk at the highest level of business, married to academic rigour. A rare combination, and Joe's style fuses the two perfectly. His understanding of strategic AI for real business impact also stands out. Not theoretical, applied. As a CEO, having that level of strategic thinking and support around you is rare."
"I've been working with Joe for the last couple of years, and I can honestly say he's the real deal. Genuine, honest, incredibly relatable. No fluff, no scripted advice, just straight-up conversations that push you forward. What stands out most is how clear it is that he wants to help you move forward, in business and in life. If you're thinking about working with him, do it. You won't regret it."
"Most board advisors specialise in one thing. Joe brings two: deep commercial experience and serious psychological depth. The combination has changed how I think about my business and how I lead it. Few advisors I've worked with operate at this level."
"As a CFO, I'm wired to look for rigour. Joe delivers it, then layers in the kind of psychological depth you rarely find in business advisors. The combination has changed how I make decisions, both at work and beyond it."
"I reached out to Joe just over a year ago for help with operational and strategic performance. He addressed the real pressure points, not the surface issues. He helped me create the space I needed to make better decisions, become a more grounded and effective leader, and find clarity during some challenging periods. It's hard to find consultants who truly understand a working business environment. Joe does. Absolutely brilliant. I can't recommend him enough."
"As a lifelong seeker of personal growth, it's been amazing to work directly with Dr Joe Gaunt on analysing who I am, because without that awareness, how can any change be meaningful? His method of explanation and discussion made the process complete and practical, and his ongoing care and support has allowed me to grow significantly. I highly recommend Dr Joe, because he comes from a place of lived experience, not just textbook theory."
Work with Dr Joe
The most undervalued performance lever isn't knowledge. It's knowledge in action.
Research-led. Experience-grounded. Outcome-focused.
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