Our Top 25 in-demand speakers for conferences and…

Our Top 25 in-demand speakers for conferences and corporate events across Europe

We are Promotivate, a company that represents some of Europe’s most in-demand speakers on the circuit, including corporate events speakers in 2024. Not only do we travel with them to various conferences to watch them inspire hundreds of people, we learn how they engage their audiences. Seeing what they’re capable of enables us to connect our customers in a personal and authentic way.

During 2019, we have worked hard to identify and book the perfect speakers for our clients, which includes Vodafone, Credit Suisse, Kerry Group, Nutanix, Abbott, SAP, and PWC – to name a few!

We’ve put together our Top 25 in-demand speakers for event conferences and corporate events across Europe, including corporate events speakers in 2024. By clicking on the speaker’s name below, you will be directed to their full speaking biographies, including testimonials and videos.

Kriti Sharma

Kriti’s Ted Talk on AI was posted in March and achieved over 1 million views in one week. Kriti is in high demand, having given major keynotes to Dell and Vodafone for her conference lecture about using AI for a good purpose, such as reducing social inequalities.

“On behalf of Global Media Group and Vodafone, I´d like to thank Kriti for top-notch presentation at Vodafone Business Conference. It was a pleasure to receive such a prestigious speaker in the area of artificial intelligence.” Vodafone Artificial Intelligence &Internet of Things Conference, Porto – May 2019

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Dr. David Hanson

Dr. Hanson is the world’s leading creator of humanoid robots, such as Sophia the Robot. David recently spoke at a major tech conference in Dubai for Promotivate on the subject of Supercharging Maximo with AI and Analytics. The conference brought together almost 250 delegates from 72 companies in 12 different industries, all to discuss the ways the AI and Robotics Industry can further future technology.

“It is a pleasure to work with someone that understands every aspect of the projects that we work on and will help at the drop of a hat. The work environment is top notch and I would recommend any of my colleagues to seek employment at Hanson. Working with David, I can say that we have made great strides toward the future of robotics in a very short time. His skills as a leader, sculptor, friend, idealist, and designer are top notch. I am proud to be associated with him.” Jason Mitchell, Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Hanson Robotics

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Alex Zanardi

Former Formula One driver turned gold para-olympian, turned 2018 Ironman World Record Holder, Promotivate represented Alex in Malta when he spoke at the Avanze Business Forum on how to ‘Unleash Your Potential.’

“As you approach the finish line, you go through a tunnel of people, all of them cheering and encouraging you. Then I heard the speaker say, ‘Alessandro Zanardi, you are an Ironman!’ It was something phenomenal, something amazing. … I got very emotional at that point. Normally I don’t let things like that get to me, but yesterday I was in tears. It was truly amazing.” Alex Zanardi

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Nando Parrado

We traveled with Nando, a plane crash survivor and author of the ‘Miricle in the Andes’ to Dallas, where he gave an inspirational keynote to 1400 store managers at the Staples Inc. US conference.

“Nando Parrado is the best speaker that I have seen in all my corporate life…and what a charming, candid and respectable person. Through all my years in the business world, I have seen and listened to many speakers. There have been average speakers, good speakers, excellent speakers, but EXCEPTIONAL speakers only one. Nando Parrado ranks above them all.” Dawn Airey SVP EMEA Yahoo!

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Ricardo Diniz

Ricardo is a widely sought after inspirational speaker in Portugal. He has spoken to Louis Vuitton with Promotivate in Lisbon, talking about his humble beginnings in a fishing village before becoming a renowned sailor and author, co-founding and becoming the President of the Portugal Ocean Race.

“Ricardo really captured the audience and told a very engaging story to the event participants. He was vocal, interesting, spoke to the point and managed to convey the message that we wanted. At the end of his speech people stood up and were applauding him which is an excellent testimony to his brilliant presentation. We were very glad to have him as a speaker at our event.” Louis Vuitton, General Manager Mediterranean – March 2019, Lisbon

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Rasmus Ankersen

One of our most booked speakers, Credit Suisse has deployed Rasmus to deliver a program of talks at their regional leadership conferences across Europe.

“CCI hosted Rasmus Ankersen in One Team leadership event held in Turkey. Ankersen in his speech ‘Hunger in Paradise’ abolished the correlation between strong performance and great results through ‘Outcome Bias’ concept. Rasmus made audience to think about the ideal condition for success and asked them to leave the comfort zone to reach real improvement. His real life examples on the issue of saving the success from failure made important contribution to the meeting as well as provided valuable insights to CCI’s leadership team.” Coca-Cola Industries, Turkey July 2018 by Promotivate

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Jim Lawless

Jim is a wonderfully energetic motivational speaker who practices what he preaches. Hugely in demand for businesses seeking a conference speaker on improving Performance, Communication & Leadership, Jim has entertained and inspired over half a million people on five continents, plus many more through his bestselling book ‘Taming Tigers.’

“Hi Jonathan, thanks so much for your support and that of your team in arranging for Jim to work with us. He was fantastic—I have had nothing but extremely positive feedback from my teams. Jim was easy to work with and flawlessly integrated key meeting themes into his message. I am thrilled he was able to join our meeting. Thanks, Vice President Commercial & Merchandise EMEA Crocs – Split, Croatia Conference May 2019

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Jamil Qureshi

Coach, Psychologist, Author, and Keynote Speaker, Jamil is a hugely in-demand speaker, delivering relevant content to audiences across Europe over 170 times each year! His talks focus on how to change your perspective to achieve your ambition, and he’s consistently praised for being fun, engaging, and thought-provoking.  Audiences gain real value from his delivery, and his advice can be used on both a  personal level and for greater business success.

“Ah, he (Jamil) was great! The team loved him and the content was perfect – I was going to drop him a note as soon as I had chance to catch up!” Andy Seale, Global Chief Sales Officer Cigna Global Individual Private Medical Insurance – Dec 2018

“Fabulous speaker! What a hit. We couldn’t have asked for more. Great plenary speech, his masterclass had the best feedback we’ve recorded for a break-out. We will be working with him again”. Boots Plc

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Mark Gallagher and Mika Hakkinen

Having recently spoken in Warsaw for Promotivate, both Mark and Mika give a wonderful insight into the high-pressure world of Formula One, speaking about how to adapt or die.

“Having heard him speak at an EADS Engagement Forum in Paris I asked Mark to speak at our Leadership Conference for Airbus in the UK. He was able to combine his experiences of F1, leadership and engagement in a humorous and enlightening way that really connected with the audience” General Manager and Human Resources Director, Airbus”

Thank you, Jonathan and Promotivate for helping organise to bring Mika and Mark (Gallagher) to Warsaw for our 100 x 100 series to celebrate our Poland’s independence. Both were amazing and provided our audience with an amazing insight into the fast-paced world of Formula One. Both set aside time for various media interviews and the Q&A session Mika gave with our Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki was wonderful. Our objective has been to promote Poland’s rise in the global order and that we are a country that is very much open for business and developing fast. Mika and Mark have helped us on this path by bringing them to Warsaw.’ Polish National Foundation – Warsaw 2018-19 100 x 100 Event Series

Sir Clive Woodward

Sir Clive Woodward is a high-performance Coach of the England Rugby and the British Olympic Team for London 2012. He led England to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup and worked for six years as Director of Elite Performance for the British Olympic Association. He’s also a designer of executive leadership programs on the science of winning. His impressive credentials are why Promotivate has engaged him to speak with one of our leading clients in the UK.

“Sir Clive’s ability to search out that glory is matched by his ability to motivate us to find that same sense of excellence in our daily lives. A truly remarkable talent.” UK Sport
“Clive was excellent. He was focused and hard-edged throughout his talk and he enthralled and inspired the audience.” Lloyds of London

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Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Ranulph had been pegged as the world’s greatest explorer, having climbed Everest at 65. He is also the only man alive to have ever traveled around the Earth’s circumpolar surface, which is an impressive achievement that makes him an in-demand speaker. In fact, he’s speaking in Los Angeles on leadership again – his 3rd booking with the same client worldwide.

‘We have had top-level business leaders, the best educationists, knights of the realm and American gurus as speakers. None of them approached your address to us in range, content or inspiration.’ Unilever, CEO

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Dr Bertalan Mesko

‘The Geek who’s Changing the World’ (Forbes Magazine) addressed Amgen’s annual conference in Budapest on the future of healthcare again. And he was a great success, as always!

“Hi, Jonathan! We have just ended the Medical Summit and it was a success. Bertalan was great and thought-provoking, he definitely met our expectations and received plenty of questions from the audience. In general, the message that resonated most was “I am the patient of the future”, where the patient is technology empowered and has certain expectations, I think that’s the key takeaway that our teams will work with. Also, David Reese, Executive VP and head of Amgen Global R&D was attending and sitting front row. I hope he himself enjoyed being with us!” MSc – AMGEN Medical Summit – Budapest May 2019

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Matthew Syed

Author of bestseller ‘Bounce’ and award-winning writer, Matthew Syed is a favorite speaker for those looking to get an edge in their business performance.

“Matthew Syed is an extremely inspirational speaker. He succinctly and persuasively encapsulated the winning ethos during his presention to Vodafone’s Global Heads of Marketing. We departed feeling highly motivated”. – Maria Bellanca, Head of Group Sponsorship PR, Vodafone

“You’ve had a huge impact on our students and I can’t thank you enough for both the valuable message and the eloquence of its delivery. The number and quality of questions showed the level of engagement you elicited. A truly memorable afternoon”. – Giles Bennett, Deputy Director Kings College School, Wimbledon

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Kai Schmidhuber

Economic futurist, visionary, renowned keynote speaker, and corporate digital transformation specialist, Kai recently spoke at SPAR Europe’s conference in Budapest, as well as various IT conferences in Munich and Berlin.

“Kai delivered a refreshingly honest presentation combining his personality, eye-catching visuals and most importantly his work/life experience which captivated the audience from the moment he stepped on that stage. His key takeaways on digital transformation resonated with all the attendees – they were presented in an accessible, engaging format which then led to a collaborative, thought-leading discussion.” CIO Berlin – March 2019

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Kevin Kelly

‘The Sales Accelerator ‘ and bestselling motivational author, Kevin is repeatedly booked by GE to deliver talks on Sales and Marketing.

“We asked Kevin to handle the coveted spot of closing out our MDRT Experience meeting in Seoul, Korea this year. Kevin gave the audience an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and practical take-away messaging that our members can immediately apply to their lives. I would definitely urge any organization to consider utilizing Kevin Kelly on their program.” Anthony Germade, Executive Producer, Million Dollar Round Table, USA

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Erin Meyer

An expert on cross-cultural management, Erin is the author of ‘The Culture Map’, a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, winner of the Thinkers 50 ‘On The Radar Award’ and Top 30 HR Influencers. A perfect candidate to speak at conferences focusing on cross-cultural leadership, Erin also teaches two courses on Leading Across Cultures and Managing Multi-Cultural Teams.

“Whether you are sitting at a desk in Boston or eating at a restaurant in Beijing, communicating across cultures is the great challenge of the global economy. Getting it right will be the the difference between success and failure. Erin Meyer shows you how to get it right.” Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer, Founders of the Thinkers50

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Dr Steven MacGregor

Barcelona based Chief Wellbeing Officer and a top expert in leadership, health, and wellbeing, Dr. Steven MacGregor founded The Leadership Academy of Barcelona (LAB) to help deliver global programs for his impressive list of clients. His aim is to build cultural change into organizations.

I have worked together with Steven in different projects. His performance and attitude have always been excellent. He is very proactive and he knows very well how to manage things. You feel that you can leave things on his hands, and they will be done on time and with high quality. He is creative and imaginative, but at the same time very pragmatic and result-oriented. He is a person to work with, without any doubt.” Joan Fontrodona, Profesor de Etica Empresarial en IESE Business School

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Anders Indset

Anders Indset is an incredibly engaging Business Philosopher and a globalization expert. He talks about ‘the future of the workplace’ Promotivate has recently represented him as he speaks at an aviation industry conference in Lucerne.

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Nick Robinson

One of the best known British journalists and presenters, Nick Robinson has won various awards and accolades for his work and is the only person to have ever filled the role of Political Editor for two of the UK’s largest broadcasters. His talks utilise his 30 years of experience in his field, combining anecdotes and humour to deliver engaging and interesting speeches.

“Nick did a truly outstanding job. A great presentation both very factual with the right balance of humour. He was very well received by our delegates and the feedback has been excellent. It was great we managed to get him to the event and thank you for your continued persistence with it.” Muzinich & Co Annual Insurance Brokers Lunch, London 2019

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Gillian Tett

Gillian Tett is an award-winning FT Economist and speaker on International Economics. A British author and journalist at the Financial Times, she predicted the 2006 financial crisis and subsequent crash. Her talks utilize her unique perspective as a behavioral scientist in the financial and corporate industries.

“Tett really wowed them, she talked about the present and the future of the markets. It’s clear that she’s interviewed leaders in the financial world from Madoff, Geithner, Volcker and heads of state. She talked about the recent downgrading of the U.S. economy by Standard and Poors and it’s impact on the debt ceiling, the value of the dollar and treasury bills.” Global US Retail Financial Services Firm

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Steve Wozniak

Co-Founder of Apple and builder of the world’s first home computer, Steve recently spoke to a gathering of leading technologists in Warsaw, Poland.

“I’ve had the pleasure of featuring Steve Wozniak across several conferences in 2014 and enjoyed working with him immensely. His enthusiastic personality translates to a fantastic keynote, and his generosity off stage connecting with attendees had the entire event buzzing. Woz is akin to the Santa Claus of technology – all those that cross paths with him can’t help but be charmed and delighted.” TechMedia

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Jack Barsky

An ex KGB Secret Agent, Cold War Spy, and Information Technology expert, Jack is an incredibly interesting speaker to invite to any conference. He recently spoke in Berlin (the home of spies!) at Citywire’s main annual conference.

“Jack Barsky has a spellbinding story and delivers it with both intelligence and a disarming candor. You could have ‘heard a pin drop’ as everyone was riveted by the story.” CEO, A. Morris Company

“Jack recently spoke to a packed house at Microsoft. He was a unique and refreshing speaker with a compelling message. Beyond just an intriguing look into the work of a spy, he puts a face on h istory and a unique journey in pursuit of the American dream.” Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft

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Araceli Segarra

A famous Spanish Mountaineer, Araceli was the first to conquer Everest in the 1996 disaster. She is now a media personality, author, and model. Promotive represents her in Barcelona, where she’d recently been booked by Uber, CSL Behring, and Dynamic.

“Hey Jonathan! Araceli’s talk was very very good… Overall feedback from everyone was super positive! We also had the chance to have lunch with her. The best part, in my opinion, was that she didn’t bring any “rules” or “laws”, but a very real and impactful personal story on which she relates perfectly with everyone’s stories, so it wasn’t a talk that ends when you leave the room but more a great food for thought for later, and each one will take its own conclusions based on what they heard. Her attitude is also fascinating and extremely professional. Thanks a lot for helping me with this, I know that was a last-minute challenge, but I see a really positive outcome.” Henrique Braga, Uber Europe – Toledo Spain Sales Conference, Nov ’18

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Nicola Adams

2x Olympic Champion and Great Britain’s Most Successful Female Boxer of All Time, Nicola gave a wonderfully inspiring Ted style talk at Blue Prism’s annual conference.

“We wanted to thank you on behalf of securing Nicola for our sales conference in Reading last week. What an amazing role model to us all. Nicola’s unique humility and wonderfully warm personality inspired us all in what is achievable in life with purpose and hard work. The Q&A format was a big success, everyone loved the format I would wholeheartedly recommend Nicola for the incredible impression she can make, and having so much time for all of us who were star struck with selfies afterwards. Please extend my thanks to Nicola. SVP & GM EMEA – Blue Prism Ltd. May 2019

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If you have inquiries about any of our corporate events speakers in 2024 listed here, or if you seek guidance or recommendations on selecting a great speaker for an upcoming conference, please contact us here.