CHRIS HIRST

Chris Hirst is a former Global CEO of Havas Creative Group, where he led 10,000 people and a $1bn P&L to record growth. His mission is simple: more better leaders everywhere. His central framework is the Leadership Equation: Impact = Clarity × Action – and he's proven it works at scale, not just in theory. He is the bestselling author of No Bullsh*t Leadership (Best Business Book of the Year 2020), No Bullsh*t Change, and Indispensable. Companies book him when they need someone who's actually done it – led the transformation, built the culture, made the hard decisions – and can give their teams practical frameworks they can use on Monday morning. Not consultants selling complexity. Practitioners selling simplicity.

Chris delivers keynotes on four core topics rooted in frameworks he's used at scale: No Bullsh*t Leadership (the Leadership Equation — Impact = Clarity × Action – and the 40/70 rule: don't decide below 40% certainty, don't wait past 70%), No Bullsh*t Change (Schwerpunkt: pick one point of maximum effect and concentrate disproportionate resources there), Superpower: Culture (Culture as Concrete — it starts liquid, then sets hard, and needs a sledgehammer to change once it's set), and The Agency Equation (his 11 rules for building world-beating creative businesses). Every framework comes from his experience actually running organisations, not advising on them.

Speaking fees depend on format, audience size, and event scope. Whether it's a 45-minute keynote, keynote plus Q&A, or a 60-minute fireside chat customized to your specific challenges, the Clash Creation team will work within your budget to find the right fit. Most bookings are corporate leadership events, transformation programmes, and high-stakes board sessions. Share your event details and the team will come back with options within 24 hours – no sales pitch, just a clear proposal.

Yes. Chris has delivered keynotes for PwC, Google, Verizon, Progressive Insurance, and Cannes Lions. He was shortlisted by Campaign Magazine as Global CEO of the Year in 2022. His speaking engagements span annual leadership conferences, post-merger integration sessions, high-stakes board away days, and transformation programmes. Most organisations book him when facing significant change or when they know their team needs to shift how they think about culture, decision-making, or execution.

Chris Hirst is represented exclusively by Clash Creation. To check availability and discuss your event requirements, use the booking form on this page or email ChrisHirst@clash.cc. Share what you're trying to achieve – the format, audience, challenges you're facing – and the team will get back to you within 24 hours with options. No lengthy sales cycle, no complexity. Just straight answers.

Chris has written three books: No Bullsh*t Leadership (2019), which won Best Business Book of the Year 2020 and spent 36+ consecutive months at No.1 at WH Smith; No Bullsh*t Change (2022), on how all meaningful change reduces to changing behaviours and culture; and Indispensable (2025), on what makes you irreplaceable. Each book distils frameworks he's used at scale as a CEO. They're not theory – they're practice.

Chris speaks throughout the year at corporate leadership events, board away days, and industry conferences. His schedule is managed exclusively by Clash Creation. To check availability for your event date or learn about upcoming public appearances, contact the team at ChrisHirst@clash.cc or use the booking form. Most dates book 3-6 months out, so reach out early if you have a specific date in mind.

Chris has delivered keynotes and workshops for PwC, Google, Verizon, Progressive Insurance, RS Components, Yap Global, and Cannes Lions. His audiences range from C-suite leadership teams at FTSE 100 companies to scaling startups, pre-IPO teams, and organisations mid-transformation. He's spoken at board away days, annual leadership conferences, post-merger integration sessions, and high-performance team programmes. The common thread: organisations where leaders need to move from thinking to action.

Yes. Chris regularly speaks at private corporate events – board away days, leadership offsites, all-hands meetings, and executive retreats. Every private event is customized: the Clash Creation team conducts research into your specific challenges before the event, and Chris tailors his frameworks accordingly. Formats range from 45-minute keynotes to 60-minute fireside chats to half-day workshops. The outcome is always the same: your team leaves with frameworks they can apply immediately, not theory they'll forget by Tuesday.

Yes. Beyond keynotes, Chris delivers intimate fireside chats and workshops where your team applies his frameworks to real decisions. The 60-minute fireside chat is his signature format: unscripted, no slides, no script – your leadership team brings their actual challenges – culture change, the hard hire/fire decision, stuck transformation, unclear strategy – and Chris works through them in conversation. These feel bespoke and personal, giving your senior team direct access to a CEO who's done it at global scale. Half-day workshops are available for deeper work. Every session is pre-researched and customized to your situation.

As Global CEO of Havas Creative Group, Chris led a $1bn P&L and 10,000 people across every continent to record growth and profits. He was shortlisted as Campaign Magazine Global CEO of the Year in 2022. His book No Bullsh*t Leadership won Best Business Book of the Year 2020 and held the No.1 spot at WH Smith for 36+ consecutive months. The books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies globally. His No Bullsh*t Leadership podcast has over 500,000 listens. But his real proof: organisations that book him move faster, make better decisions, and build stronger cultures.

Yes. Chris delivers keynotes across Europe, North America, and the Middle East. For international events, travel and accommodation are arranged alongside the speaking fee. If in-person doesn't work, virtual and hybrid formats deliver the same experience – full interactivity, customization, and audience engagement. The frameworks work regardless of timezone or format. Contact Clash Creation at ChrisHirst@clash.cc for international booking enquiries.

The Five Golden Rules are Chris's consistent framework for every keynote he delivers: 1) Wipe away the bullsh*t – the world needs more better leaders everywhere, and the Leadership Industrial Complex is the enemy; 2) Leadership is difficult but not complicated – distilled into Impact = Clarity × Action; 3) Be honest and be ambitious – brutally honest about where you are, outrageously ambitious about where you want to be; 4) To decide is to act – use the 40/70 rule (don't decide below 40% certainty, don't wait past 70%), because error is an embedded feature of success; 5) Effective culture is a superpower – virtually uncopyable, virtually unbeatable. These five rules structure every Chris Hirst keynote, whether it's 45 minutes or a half-day workshop.

Yes. All Chris Hirst keynotes are customized to your event objective and organisational context. Before the event, the team at Clash Creation conducts research into your organisation's specific challenges – whether that's post-merger integration, culture transformation, leadership transition, or high-performance team building. Chris tailors his frameworks and examples to address your real situation. This is standard on all keynote and masterclass bookings. The goal is that your team leaves with frameworks they can use on Monday morning.

Chris Hirst offers three main formats: a 45-minute keynote (ideal for annual conferences and leadership summits), a keynote plus executive Q&A (45-minute keynote followed by a live strategic Q&A with your leadership team), and a 60-minute fireside chat (an intimate, unscripted conversation tailored to your leadership team's real challenges). Longer formats, including half-day and full-day sessions, are available for transformation programmes and deep-dive executive retreats. Contact Clash Creation to discuss which format best suits your event.

The 60-minute fireside chat is an intimate, unscripted conversation designed for leadership teams who want direct access to Chris's thinking on their real challenges. No slides, no script – just straight talk tailored to the room. Chris typically focuses on one or two core frameworks – Culture as Concrete, the 40/70 Rule, Schwerpunkt, or the Leadership Equation – and works through real decisions your team is facing. Unlike a keynote (which is primarily Chris talking), a fireside chat is conversational and highly interactive: your team asks the hard questions, and Chris gives direct answers from lived experience. This format is ideal for leadership offsites, executive retreats, post-merger integration teams, or organisations mid-transformation. All fireside chats are pre-researched and customized to your situation.

Yes. Chris is experienced in virtual and hybrid keynote formats for international audiences or where in-person delivery is not possible. Virtual and hybrid keynotes use the same three formats: 45-minute keynote, keynote plus Q&A, or 60-minute fireside chat. The experience is virtually identical to in-person delivery, with full audience engagement and interactivity. Virtual events are particularly effective for distributed leadership teams or international audiences. Contact Clash Creation to discuss the best format for your requirements.

The core outcome from every Chris Hirst keynote is that your audience leaves with frameworks they can use immediately – they're not abstract theory, they're frameworks Chris has used at scale as a CEO. Organisations typically report that teams: (1) stop overthinking and start making more decisions; (2) understand culture differently and see where to intervene; (3) have permission to act despite uncertainty (error is an embedded feature); (4) leave with a shared language and framework they can apply to their real challenges. Chris's keynotes are designed to shift mindset and enable action, not just inspire. The outcome is leaders who leave thinking 'this changes how I approach my job on Monday'.