Keynote Speaker for Annual Conference
Direct answer
Chris Hirst is a former Global CEO of Havas Creative Network – hundreds of companies, 10,000 people, every continent, and author of three books including No Bullshit Leadership. His conference keynote combines the Leadership Equation, Culture as Concrete, and the Five Golden Rules into a talk that is direct, self-deprecating, and practical – built for large audiences who need to leave with a shared framework, not just inspiration.
Chris Hirst
Practical keynote frameworks for rooms with real decisions to make.
$1bn
P&L led at Havas
10k
people led globally
3
leadership books
Chris Hirst's Leadership Equation (Impact = Clarity × Action), Culture as Concrete, and the Five Golden Rules combine intellectual framework with visceral storytelling into a conference keynote that delegates quote in Monday meetings. Built for 200–1,000+ audiences who need substance, not motivation-poster platitudes.
Want to ask about Chris? ChrisHirst@clash.cc
Chris has delivered keynotes to audiences of hundreds across industries – from agency networks to FTSE boards. He ran Havas Creative Network, turned around Grey, and wrote three books that codify his leadership thinking. His stage presence is distinctive: he opens with self-deprecation, delivers an equation that surprises ('I did a degree in engineering, so I've written a very non-scientific equation – Impact = Clarity × Action'), and closes with 'call bullshit.' Audience reactions are recorded across multiple talks: the equation reveal, the concrete metaphor, and 'if that's how you feel, join the club' consistently get the strongest responses.
- Former Global CEO of Havas Creative Group
- Best Business Book of the Year winner
- Trusted by Google, PwC, Verizon and global leadership teams
What Your Audience Leaves With
A usable frame for the decision in front of them
Primary audience: Conference organisers booking a headliner for 200–1,000+ delegates across industries. Core pain point: Need a speaker who can hold a large room, deliver substance not motivation-poster platitudes, and give delegates something they remember three months later. Previous keynotes were forgettable. Key message: If you only remember two words: clarity and action. Impact = Clarity × Action. Leadership is difficult but not complicated. Culture is a superpower. Desired outcome: A keynote that delegates quote in Monday meetings. A shared framework (Five Golden Rules) that becomes company shorthand. An experience that feels honest, energising, and practically useful.
Topic focus
Leadership and Culture
The Problem
Why Most Conference Keynotes Fail
Most conference keynotes fail because they deliver inspiration without structure. Chris gives audiences an equation they can remember (Impact = Clarity × Action), a metaphor they can feel (culture is like wet concrete – malleable when first poured but sets hard), and Five Golden Rules they can list on one hand. The combination of intellectual framework and visceral storytelling is what makes the talk stick.
The second failure is speakers who lecture. Chris is self-deprecating before authoritative. He always admits his own failures before claiming expertise. He opens talks from Northumberland, jokes about not looking like Jon Snow, and tells the audience 'we were a really, really, really shit business' before explaining how he turned it around. This vulnerability is what makes the authority land. 'If that's how you feel, join the club' is consistently the most emotionally resonant moment.
The third failure is forgettable closings. Chris closes with a rapid-fire recap of the Five Golden Rules, 'if you only remember two words: clarity and action,' a callback to his opening thesis, and an empowerment line: 'you can all do this.' He often ends with 'call bullshit' – which gets recorded audience applause in multiple talks. Delegates leave with a shared language and the permission to use it.
Key Takeaways
What Your Audience Leaves With
Impact = Clarity × Action – Chris's central equation that audiences remember months later
The Five Golden Rules give 500 delegates a shared language they can use on Monday morning
Culture is like wet concrete – a visceral metaphor that changes how leaders think about organisational change
Leadership is difficult but not complicated – the antidote to the Leadership Industrial Complex
If you only remember two words: clarity and action
FAQ