About Bernie

Andrew "Bernie" Bernard has been working with young people and organisations since 2006. Despite leaving Grammar School with an E and a U at A-level, he decided his skills would be useful for working in education after 17 years in the wrong jobs. He's since spoken to more than 170,000 people internationally, in schools, sports stadiums, Parliament and at The Royal Society.

After 18 years delivering enterprise and careers education, Bernie founded What Makes A Man Ltd in 2024 to focus on discussing masculinities, healthier relationships and ways to reduce violence against women and girls. He's a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association, a TEDx speaker, former Director of National Careers Week, and has featured on Sky News, ITV, BBC Radio 5, BBC Scotland, LBC Radio and in The Times and the iPaper. In May 2026, he featured in a TV news report about his work in schools around the manosphere and incels for Sky News Education.

He's the author of two books: The Ladder (Crown House, 2021), a careers handbook for schools, and Masculinity, Relationships and Respect in Education (Routledge, Autumn 2026), a call to action on challenging misogyny in educational settings. 

His Instagram account @_WhatMakesAMan_ has 200,000 followers at the time of writing.

His work draws on his own life, exam failure, workplace bullying, surviving testicular cancer, fatherhood and the murder of his sister Sarah Gosling by her violent partner in 2012. He doesn't just talk about these topics. He's lived inside them.

Testimonials

  • "The bell went for break and they were still just sat there staring at the screen. The best speaker we've ever had."

    — Teacher, Balcarras School, Gloucestershire

  • "My own son, currently in Year 11, told me last night that he thought your session was 'excellent and really informative' - an opinion shared by many of the pupils in his year group."

    —Deputy Headteacher

  • "You gave our Heads some real food for thought and so many tools to help them tackle the issues they are facing in school."

    — S.B., Gateshead Education and Inclusion

  • "Bernie's session: 100% Excellent."

    — HCUK Tackling Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Conference, 2024

  • It was a pleasure to have you. Thank you very much for co-facilitating the allyship training session with Sarah yesterday, I thought this was an important session and it was good to have a male presenter for that very topic.

    A. E. Diversity Director, Exolum.

WMAM Substack

WMAM Substack

Bernie writes about masculinity, relationships, and what it actually means to be a man, the honest stuff, not the easy answers. New pieces go out regularly.

Read on Substack

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