The Leading Speakers Bureau

Professor of Health Policy and Management, Witten-Herdecke University

Christian Koeck is a visionary in health policy and management. He is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Witten-Herdecke University and Adjunct Lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. A regular contributor to national and international industry journals addressing a range of healthcare issues, he is firmly committed to improving the quality of healthcare throughout the world.

“Christian is a leading expert on Health Policy and Management that gives healthcare professionals practical ideas for improvement”

[expand title=”In detail”] Christian studied Medicine in Vienna and received his first doctorate in 1983. Harvard awarded a second doctorate in 1984, where he studied Health Policy and Economy. Between 1990 and 1995 he was a member of the executive board of the network of Viennese Hospitals with responsibility for quality management and organisation. In 1998 he was awarded a Professorship at the Witten-Herdecke University. Most recently, in 2002 he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Medicine[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Drawing upon his extensive knowledge, comprehensive studies and rigorous research Christian provides you with sound, practical ideas on how to improve healthcare among health professionals and patients; and how to improve quality through financial investment.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]You will be both entertained and informed by his talks, his drive and motivation is infectious making him highly sought-after at leading healthcare events. [/expand]
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Best-selling Author & President of the Table Group, Inc.

Patrick Lencioni is a best-selling author and president of The Table Group, a consulting firm that specialises in executive team development and organisational health. Recognised as one of the world’s leading experts on executive team development, his original leadership theories are based on consulting work with CEO’s and their teams at numerous national and international organisations around the world.

“What a huge home run! Pat Lencioni’s presentation at our MIT Birthing of Giants program was simply outstanding – he received one of the highest ratings ever” Brien Biondi CEO

[expand title=”In detail”] Prior to founding The Table Group, Patrick Lencioni worked at Bain & Company, the Oracle Corporation and Sybase, where he was vice president of organisational development. He also served on the National Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America from 2000-2003.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Patrick Lencioni shares his models for leadership and organisational health and he shows decision makers how to overcome the problems that divide work units and paralyse performance. He offers solutions to key leadership issues designed to enhance workplace effectiveness and increase productivity.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A respected thought leader and insightful speaker, Patrick Lencioni tailors his presentations to precisely meet client needs by incorporating unique and invaluable information based on his comprehensive research. Wall Street Journal cited him as one of America’s 5 Top Speakers (May 2008).[/expand]
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Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks Coffee Company

Howard Schultz is a highly successful businessman and entrepreneur. He is currently chairman, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks Coffee Company, having bought out the two founders in 1987 and taken the company public in 1992. Howard has taken Starbucks from a mere 11 retail stores to in excess of 1,300 stores.

“A world-class business leader”

[expand title=”In detail”] In 1981 Howard was the vice president in charge of U.S. operations for Hammarplast, a Swedish company that makes housewares and kitchen equipment. It was whilst at Hammarplast’s that Howard noted “a strange phenomenon: a little retailer in Seattle was placing unusually large orders for a certain type of drip coffeemaker”. The name of the business was Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spice. Howard’s curiosity led him to Seattle where he met Starbucks’ two owners, who acquainted him with the history of their five stores. By 1982, he’d joined Starbucks and was helping it expand its reach to other cities. The rest, as they say, is history. He is also the former owner of the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics. In 2007 he received the FIRST Responsible Capitalism Award.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Howard is recognised as one of the most influential, successful, and visionary business leaders in the world today. Known for having created two landmark programs for Starbucks partners (employees); comprehensive health coverage for part-time partners and equity in the company in the form of stock options, he draws upon his knowledge and expertise to offer audiences advice on achieving their ambitions and sustainable success.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Howard Schultz is a highly professional and passionate keynote speaker whose presentations are guaranteed to leave delegates inspired and motivated.[/expand]
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Actor, Director, Producer & Entrepreneur

Robert Redford is an award-winning American actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as one of Hollywood’s biggest superstars but has recently been involved in onsulting and speaking for a wide range of global organizations, including computer giant IBM.

“Stay loose and place creativity at the forefront when you do anything” Robert Redford

[expand title=”In detail”] Robert has starred in an array of award winning films and has received a huge number of awards. In December of 2005, he received honors at the Kennedy Center for his contributions to American culture through the performing arts. He founded The Sundance Institute in 1981 in order to help emerging and aspiring producers, directors, writers, and film composers attend highly competitive programs run by the Institute, to assist them in developing their craft. The Sundance Institute celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. The Institute also owns and runs the annual Sundance Film Festival.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]One of the most influential creative voices of our time Robert Redford encourages audiences to think creatively, take risks and champion new ideas. He draws upon his own experiences to demonstrate the power and importance of creative diversity.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A highly professional and passionate speaker Robert is in great demand at events across the globe.[/expand]
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Professional Facilitator, Consultant and Author, Leading Authority on Leadership

Kate Sweetman is co-author of ‘Leadership Code: 5 Rules to Lead By’ and an experienced leadership consultant, educator, author, editor, and speaker. Currently an instructor at MIT’s Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, she collaborates with gifted young entrepreneurs from emerging and developing countries including India, Rwanda, Colombia, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and North Africa. While an editor at Harvard Business Review, Kate acquired and edited articles by top business executives, academics, and consultants around the globe on the topics of business creativity, organizational change and development, leadership psychology, teamwork, and social enterprise.

“The organization’s leadership moves from the outside in, and the individual leader’s strength moves from the inside out”

[expand title=”In detail”] Kate Sweetman is a founding partner of Sweetman Consulting, LLC, an education and organizational development firm based in Milton, MA. In addition to her career in executive and management education, she has worked in publishing and academics. She was also a Research Associate at Harvard Business School, and later taught the Management Communications course there. Kate has a BA in English from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Kate Sweetman’s speciality is crafting customized cases around issues of leadership, strategy, organizational development, and implementation that help organizations look at themselves, what they do well, and what they need to improve. She has written hundreds of cases, scenarios, vignettes, role plays, scripts and other creative materials designed to open up essential discussions around strategy, leadership, and organizational behaviours.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Kate Sweetman’s ability to bring the best out of herself and others in front of audiences has been appreciated by clients including Citigroup, Novartis, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, British Petroleum Exploration and AstraZeneca among others. She is also part of our Top Leadership speakers.[/expand]
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Activist, Businessman, Musician

Bob Geldof KBE is best known for organising the 2005 Live 8 and 1985 Live Aid benefit concerts. A self-styled campaigner he is tremendously well informed on a broad range of global and national issues. Currently, he is heavily involved in the Make Poverty History Campaign, a campaign against third world poverty. In addition to his equally successful if diverse campaigning and musical achievements, he is also a proven businessman and is co-founder of Ten Alps a very successful production company. Bob was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 2005 European Hero’s and made the front cover of their European Edition on 10th October 2005.

Outspoken and celebrated global activist

[expand title=”In detail”] Now a truly global figure, his career began in journalism before forming the rock band Boomtown Rats. The course of his work changed when he set about the huge challenge of arranging Live Aid. In 2004 he returned to Ethiopia with UNICEF reviving media and public interest in the country’s economic state. Most recently he was honoured with the 2005 Nobel Man Of Peace Award and the MTV Free Your Mind Award which he received at the European Music Awards. He was also a Nobel Prize Nominee in 2005.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]The breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience is unique and hard to replicate. He is highly entertaining and has great insight into the socio-political arena as well as leadership, communications, marketing in the global village, motivation and self-development.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Passion is undisputedly one of his strengths, but so is validity of message. His inspirational presentations are both well researched and convincing.[/expand]
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Former CEO & Chairman of the Management Board of Gucci Group, Fortune Magazine’s European Businessman of the Year 2007

Robert Polet joined Gucci Group in 2004 after a 26-year career at Unilever, bringing considerable global management experience and a deep knowledge of the development of consumer brands in a multicultural environment. His dynamism has helped turn around luxury goods company Gucci Group and was named as European Businessman of the Year 2007 by Fortune magazine. He encourages the people working with him to break rules and to go outside the box.

“The man who has put the extra into extravagance”

[expand title=”In detail”] Robert Polet studied business administration at Nijenrode in the Netherlands and earned an MBA from the University of Oregon, USA. He joined Unilever in 1978, and has worked there in a broad variety of marketing and senior executive positions throughout the world. In his latest position, he was president of Unilever’s Worldwide Ice Cream and Frozen Foods division. Where Robert Polet exerts control at Gucci is in selecting the right leaders, and he then enjoys letting them “Go for it”.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Robert Polet shares his ideas for managing fashion brands, where art and commerce collide, with international audiences at events worldwide. His motto is “always put yourself through the hardship of keeping things simple” and his self-confidence and single-mindedness have brought success throughout his career. His people oriented leadership produces extraordinary results. He is open-minded, very direct, very transparent, and a fine speaker.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Never having been one to adhere to rules and protocols, this highly charismatic Dutchman, Robert Polet is truly insightful and memorable.[/expand]
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Chairman & Former CEO of Xerox Corporation

Anne M. Mulcahy is credited with leading the printer and copier maker out of a deep financial slump earlier in the decade. From 2001 to 2009, she was also CEO and retains the position of chairman. The Wall Street Journal named her one of 50 women to watch in 2005 and Forbes Magazine ranked her at the sixth position among the Most Powerful Women in America in 2005. In 2008, she was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders. She has been selected as CEO of the Year 2008 by Chief Executive magazine.

“One of America’s Best & Courageous Leaders”

[expand title=”In detail”] Anne M. Mulcahy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English / Journalism from Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of Catalyst, Citigroup Inc., Fuji Xerox Company, Ltd., Target Corporation, The Washington Post Company, and is the chairman of the corporate governance task force of the Business Roundtable. She began her Xerox career as a field sales representative in 1976 and became chief staff officer in 1997 and corporate senior vice president in 1998. Prior to that, she served as vice president and staff officer for Customer Operations, covering South America and Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and China.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Anne Mulcahy provides worldwide audiences with her story of how she successfully led a multibillion-dollar turnaround of Xerox and transformed the business into an innovative digital technology and services enterprise. Central to her strategy is the investment in R&D through good times and bad. She is a superb motivator who can push people to step up their game without demoralizing them in the process. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Anne Mulcahy is a tremendous communicator and a skilled negotiator having persuaded a full 98 of the 100 top executives to stay during the dark periods of the turnaround, and the bulk of them are still with the company today.[/expand]
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Leading Authority on Business Strategy and Professor of Management

Professor Henry Mintzberg is Professor of Management at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and a Visiting Scholar at INSEAD in Fontainbleau, France. His entire career has focused on understanding how big business make decisions. In 2009 and 2007 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers.

“Management is where art and craft and science meet”

[expand title=”In detail”] Henry Mintzberg holds a Ph.D. from the Sloan School of Management, M.I.T., where he studied Policy, Organisational Studies, Information and Control Systems and Political Science. During his career Henry Mintzberg has written and published numerous articles (i.e. in Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review), monographs, reviews and books.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Henry Mintzberg’s interests focus on issues of General Management and Organisation, including the process of strategy formation, the design of Organisations as well as the impact of design on Organisations and the roles of intuition, insight and inspiration in a world of “thin” Management. It is not about empowerment; it assumes that you are already empowered and engaged too. It goes beyond, enabling you to improve yourself, your team, and your organization.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Henry Mintzberg’s presentations provide the opportunity to enhance managerial and leadership skills.[/expand]
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Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development, Harvard Business School

Rakesh Khurana teaches a doctoral seminar on Management and Markets as well as The Board of Directors and Corporate Governance in the Harvard MBA program. Rakesh’s current research grows out of the same interests in the social context of business leadership and the allocation of leadership positions that motivated his research on the CEO labor market.

“Expert in Leadership Development”

[expand title=”In detail”] Rakesh’s research uses a sociological perspective to focus on the processes by which elites and leaders are selected and developed. He has written extensively about the CEO labor market with a particular interest on the factors that lead to vacancies in the CEO position, the factors that affect the choice of successor; the role of market intermediaries such as executive search firms in CEO search and the consequences of CEO succession and selection decisions for subsequent firm performance and strategic choices.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Rakesh offers businesses his knowledge of how to help improve their CEO succession, governance, and executive development practices. In 2009 Thinkers 50, the global ranking of management gurus, placed him among the list of most influential thinkers. He shares key leadership skills that delegates will be able to take away and put into practice.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Rakesh Khurana provides fascinating researched insights into leadership and other issues with great clarity and charisma in his tailored presentations.[/expand]
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