45-Minute Keynote
Leadership, culture, and transformation keynote built around your event objective.
Best for: Annual conferences and leadership summits
Chris Hirst
Leadership Keynote Speaker & Bestselling Author
Former Global CEO of Havas Creative Group. Award-winning author. No-nonsense leadership for leaders who want to get stuff done.
$1bn
P&L Responsibility
10,000+
People Managed
500K+
Podcast Listens
36+
Months as No.1 Bestseller
“Chris was a huge hit – not just with clients but also with the PwC team.”
What You Can Book
Leadership sessions that move senior teams from discussion to action.
Typical speaking fee range: GBP 10,000-25,000, depending on format, audience, and event requirements.
Keynote + Executive Q&A
Live strategic Q&A that turns the keynote into practical decisions for your senior team.
Best for: Board away days and leadership offsites
90-Minute Masterclass
Interactive leadership session with actionable frameworks for immediate implementation.
Best for: Transformation programmes and post-merger teams
Why Leadership Teams Book Chris
Clarity under pressure for leaders navigating change.
Chris is booked when organisations need practical leadership perspective that can move a room from polite agreement to clear action. The focus is simple: better decisions, stronger culture, and execution that actually lands.
- Former Global CEO of Havas Creative Group with direct responsibility for 10,000 people.
- Leadership keynotes built from real operational decisions, not recycled theory.
- Tailored sessions for board away days, leadership offsites, and high-stakes transformation periods.
Selected Speaking Events
London Speaker BureauAdvertising WeekInstitute of Practitioners in AdvertisingHavas MediaEffectiveness WeekBusiness Book AwardsET NowAlliance of Independent Agencies
Featured In
Financial TimesSkyBBCCNBCManagement Today
Trusted by Global Brands and Leadership Teams
About Chris Hirst
Chris Hirst is a no-nonsense voice on leadership, careers, and change. A best-selling author, keynote speaker, and former Global CEO, he built his career fixing broken businesses and turning them into world-beaters. As Global CEO of Havas Creative Group, he was responsible for a $1bn P&L and 10,000 people.
Credentials
- Brasenose College, Oxford (MEng Engineering Science)
- Harvard Business School (Advanced Management Program)
Achievements
- Campaign Magazine Global CEO of the Year finalist 2022
- No Bullsh*t Leadership: Best Business Book of the Year 2020
- No.1 bestseller for 36+ months (WH Smith)
Current
- Management Today monthly columnist
- No Bullsh*t Leadership podcast (500K+ listens)
- Founder, Dogsbody Group Ltd
Signature Keynotes
Topic 01
No Bullsh*t Leadership
Leadership is difficult but not complicated. Chris wipes away the guff to get to the heart of modern leadership: the life-changing, career-transforming power to get stuff done.
Topic 02
No Bullsh*t Change
The only constant we face is change. Drawing on a decade of leading successful transformation programmes, Chris shares proven strategies for team, organisational and cultural transformation.
Topic 03
Superpower: Culture
Culture is the environment the leader creates for their teams to out-perform. Chris explores what culture really is, why it matters, and how to be brilliant at it.
Topic 04
The Agency Equation
A proven formula for building world-beating consultancy businesses. Drawn from Chris’s experience turning Grey and Havas into industry leaders.
Books and Thought Leadership
No Bullsh*t Leadership
Profile Books · 2019
“Best Business Book of the Year 2020”
— Business Book Awards
No Bullsh*t Change
Profile Books · 2022
“A bold and inspiring vision.”
— June Sarpong
Indispensable
Pan Macmillan · 2025
What Senior Leaders Say
“Chris was a huge hit – not just with clients but also with the PwC team.”
“Chris is an exceptional leader with an ability to simplify what is complex and galvanize action.”
“His clarity of thought and judgement make Chris a rare breed.”
“One of the most unconventional and successful leaders I know.”
“Perfect for our turbulent times.”
“A punchy, plainly written guide, offering a readable and enlightened view of what leaders do.”
“Quite simply he’s the right guy...right leader...right time...with all the right answers.”
“Invaluable.”
“A rallying cry for leaders.”
“Chris has mastered the art of communicating advanced leadership concepts in a very digestible format.”
“Chris skips the theory and gets into real world applications to transform business.”
Availability
Book Chris for your next leadership event.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chris Hirst is a former Global CEO of Havas Creative Group, where he led more than 10,000 people and a $1bn P&L to record growth and profits. He is the bestselling author of No Bullsh*t Leadership (Best Business Book of the Year 2020). Companies book him when they need a keynote speaker for leadership transitions, culture transformation, or post-merger integration — someone who has done it at scale, not just advised on it.
