Keynote Speaker Dagur Sigurdsson: The drive to win versus the fear of defeat. Belief can move mountains.
Following his remarkable achievement of leading the German national handball team to the European Championship title in Poland in 2016 and securing the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Dagur Sigurdsson is hailed by the German media as the “father of success.”
Dagur Sigurdsson, the champion not only in German handball!
Topics of Dagur Sigurdsson’s lectures
The Dagur Formula – Talent + Training x Attitude
Dagur Sigurdsson is a motivational coach and success expert. His team is highly motivated and passionate about his unique methods. Discover in this lecture what truly matters and how to sustainably boost your team’s performance!
Adaptation or substitution – balancing individualists and team players
Every team member has their own strengths and weaknesses. What applies in sports is equally relevant in business. In this talk, Dagur Sigurdsson explains how to nurture individual talents while enhancing the overall team strength!
Young and wild – leading Generation Y teams
Dagur Sigurdsson has demonstrated his ability to effectively manage young and inexperienced players. Companies can gain from his insights. Learn what is essential in leading Generation Y teams and how to successfully reach desired objectives!
Concise and impactful – why brevity matters
If you have witnessed Dagur Sigurdsson in handball, you know his brief and precise statements distinguish him. Hear how to communicate your message effectively and why succinct statements often have greater influence than lengthy speeches.
Planning is important, but execution is key – reaching goals
A plan may be good, but ultimately, successful execution is what counts! Dagur Sigurdsson shares how to set and accomplish goals. Learn about strategic planning and effective implementation in this lecture.
From Europe to Asia
Dagur is highly respected in Asia as a European. Discover what it takes to succeed in Asia. Drawing on his international experience, Dagur Sigurdsson reveals the key behaviors and strategies for success in the Asian market.
Special honor: Handball World Coach 2015
Born in 1973 in Reykjavik, Iceland, Dagur Sigurdsson grew up in a sports-oriented family. Initially a soccer player who reached the Icelandic U17 team, he ultimately focused on handball, enjoying a distinguished career as a world-class player: 25 appearances for the Icelandic national team, fifth place at the 1997 World Cup, and fourth at the 2002 European Championship.
As a player, Sigurdsson won the Icelandic championship five times and competed successfully in various European and World Championships, as well as the 2004 Olympic Games. During his playing career, he also served as player-coach at Wakunaga Hiroshima and A1 Bregenz. From 2008 to 2010, he coached the Austrian national handball team, leading them to an impressive ninth place at the 2010 European Championships held at home. Starting in summer 2009, he coached Füchse Berlin, transforming them into a top team in the Handball Bundesliga. His major coaching achievements with Füchse Berlin include winning the DHB Cup in 2014 and the EHF Cup in 2015.
The accomplished coach
In August 2014, Dagur Sigurdsson accepted his greatest challenge by becoming coach of the German national handball team. In this role, he crafted an impressive and unique success story. Taking over a team in deep sporting crisis that had just missed World Cup qualification, German handball was at a low point. Yet within 18 months, the Icelander transformed a young and inexperienced squad into a team where every player supports each other and is driven by an unstoppable will to win. Fueled by determination, morale, and exceptional team spirit, they achieved the seemingly impossible: as underdogs, the young German team won the European Championship in Poland in 2016 and shortly after earned the bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games. Since 2017, Sigurdsson has been focusing on his next major role as Japan’s national coach.
Dagur Sigurdsson has been honored with several awards for his outstanding sporting achievements: In April 2016, he was named “World Coach of the Year.” Following the 2016 European Championship victory, German Chancellor Angela Merkel recognized Sigurdsson’s team in Berlin for their gold medal. Besides praising the team’s incredible determination, Merkel specifically commended Sigurdsson for his unique motivational approach that made a decisive difference.
Alongside his distinguished career as a professional handball player and coach, Sigurdsson is a successful entrepreneur. He is best known for co-founding and managing the popular Icelandic Kex Hostel in Reykjavik. He remains active entrepreneurially in the hospitality, automotive, and IT sectors. As a speaker, Sigurdsson effectively addresses topics such as leadership, team building, and motivation.
