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Leadership Speakers

What makes a great leadership speaker? A great leader, of course. We’ve chosen only the speakers who can articulate the leadership experience: how to appreciate leadership skills in others, and how to develop them yourself.

 

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Jordin Tootoo

The first Inuk Player in the NHL | Founder of the Team Tootoo Foundation

The first Inuk player in history to be drafted by the NHL, Jordin Tootoo announced his retirement after 13 years in the league to give back to the Indigenous community with a message of inspired inclusivity.
 
Major MJ Hegar

Author of Shoot Like a Girl | Leadership Speaker | Foreign Policy 100 Leading Global Thinker

Major MJ Hegar is a force to be reckoned with. While piloting her third tour of Afghanistan, she took a bullet to her helicopter’s windshield. Badly injured, and under heavy fire, she flew her team to safety, conducting a near-impossible landing. An incredible story—soon to be a major motion picture—Hegar’s bravery inspires audiences to persevere through change, hardship, and any obstacles in their way.
 
Drew Dudley

Founder of Day One Leadership | Author of This Is Day One

What if, says Drew Dudley, we believed that leadership wasn’t just for those in charge? What if we embraced our ability to lead, no matter our school grades or pay-grade? As he describes in his fortif...

Maureen Chiquet

Former Global CEO of Chanel | Former President of Banana Republic

As Global CEO of Chanel—and, earlier, as President of Banana Republic—Maureen Chiquet steered global brands through a decade of disruption, and she did so with traditionally ‘feminine’ skills of empat...

Peter Mansbridge

Chief Correspondent for CBC News and Anchor of The National for 29 Years

Peter Mansbridge is one of Canada’s most respected and recognizable figures. For five decades, including 29 years as anchor of CBC’s The National, he has guided us through the political, economic, and cultural events that have shaped the country. Unsurprisingly, he’s also a great public speaker. In keynotes, he highlights the very real contribution of Canada, and its citizens, in building a better world.
 
Sue Gardner

Executive Director of The Markup | Former Director of Wikimedia Foundation

The fight to keep the internet democratic and easily-accessible is one of society’s most urgent battles. Sue Gardner, the former Executive Director of Wikimedia, has been speaking on this topic for years. She offers a clear-eyed take on why a robust, transparent, and unobstructed internet, with the free flow of ideas and information, is essential to a healthy democracy. 
Michael Pinball Clemons

One of Canada's Greatest Athletes and Community Leaders

CFL legend Michael “Pinball” Clemons is an icon of sporting excellence, community leadership, and personal integrity. With boundless energy and moments of quiet introspection, he talks about teamwork and the potential each of us has to achieve anything we set our minds to. 
Waneek Horn-Miller

Olympian, Activist, and Speaker on Indigenous Health and Reconciliation

Waneek Horn-Miller has overcome discrimination and trauma to emerge as one of North America’s most inspiring activists and Olympians. She empowers our communities to overcome adversity, and helps us turn reconciliation—justice, healing, and dialogue—into a cornerstone of our national institutions. 
Minette Norman

VP of Engineering Practice, Autodesk | Speaker on Transformative Leadership

At Autodesk—a world leader in software tech—the most qualified person to lead 3,500 engineers and transform company culture isn’t yet another male engineer. It’s Minette Norman, a Liberal Arts major and living proof that women are transformative leaders. In talks, she demonstrates how radical empathy and diverse teams can demolish silos and unlock entrenched attitudes—especially in the STEM fields. 
David Fleischer

Director of Leadership Lab | Community Activist

Prejudice is on the rise. Isn’t it? If so, then speaker David Fleischer is doing the impossible: reducing prejudice by knocking on strangers’ doors and offering them the opportunity to form new opinions. The effect is tangible—real, data-verified change. And he’ll teach you how to make it happen, too.  
 
Darby Allen

Fort McMurray’s Fire Chief (Ret.) | Motivational and Crisis Leadership Speaker

During the catastrophic Alberta wildfires, fire chief Darby Allen shot to global acclaim for guiding the 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray to safety with no loss of life—the largest evacuation in Canadian history. Now, he offers guidance on how to be a stoic, quick-thinking leader in tough situations.
Yvonne Camus

A Motivational Speaker on Grit and Performance | COO of SPINCO

How can an average businesswoman and mom outperform US Navy Seals? Through grit, determination, and resilience. Yvonne Camus is one of the world’s most trusted speakers on teamwork and perseverance. Deeply relatable, Camus interweaves her personal experiences into revelatory talks.
Tom Wujec

World Renowned Expert on Innovation | Former Chief Disruptor at Autodesk | Author of The Future of Making

New disruptive technologies are permanently changing the way we conceive, design, manufacture, and sell products. To veteran innovator Tom Wujec—Autodesk’s former ‘Chief Disruptor’—this revolution isn’t intimidating, but an exciting opportunity. As each industry is forced to adapt and learn new skills, they’ll need a guide—and Wujec is our most valuable. 
 
Bill Strickland

An Extraordinary Business and Community Leader

Bill Strickland created an empire by stoking genius in those who believed they had nothing. As a speaker, founder, and Executive Chairman of Manchester Bidwell—a $7 million from-scratch arts and train...

Bonnie Brooks

Brought North America's oldest retailer back from the Brink of Failure

“Leadership is about finding ways to get things done,” says Bonnie Brooks, the first female President and CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company, who, with sweeping, institutional changes, brought North America’...

Adam Bryant

Decade-Long Author of The Corner Office Column in The New York Times | Managing Director, Merryck & Co.

What happens if you interview over 500 of the world’s top CEOs, and instead of asking them about their companies (about share prices or bottom lines), you ask them expansive questions about how they l...

Marc Weinstein

Entrepreneur | Start-up Advisor | Expert on Influencer Culture

Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and start-up advisor Marc Weinstein is known as the voice of reason from Fyre, the Netflix documentary about the unparalleled disaster that was Fyre Festival. You can learn from mistakes before they’re made, engage ethically and meaningfully with the attention economy, and push back against the pressures of “toxic entrepreneurship.” 
Mike Babcock

Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach | Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold Medal Winner

Mike Babcock is the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, and the head coach of Canada’s gold medal-winning men’s Olympic hockey team. One of the most ...

Ryan Holiday

Author of Perennial Seller, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, and More

With bestsellers like The Daily Stoic, Ego Is the Enemy, and Perennial Seller, Ryan Holiday is a motivational speaker on everyone’s mind. The New York Times calls him “a sought-after guru to NFL coach...

Karl Subban

Leadership Speaker, Educator, and Father of NHL Star P.K. Subban | Author of How We Did It

Karl Subban is a former school principal in one of Toronto’s toughest neighbourhoods, and the father of five children, including three NHL players. He’s dedicated his life to helping others reach thei...

Shawn Achor

Author of The Happiness Advantage

Happiness speaker Shawn Achor teaches the most popular class at Harvard—a class on positive psychology. Achor has earned over a dozen distinguished teaching awards at the university, and is the CEO of...

Anthony Tjan

Author of Good People and Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck | CEO and Managing Partner, The Cue Ball Group

We’ve all heard that a company is only as good as its people. But in his new book Good People, Anthony Tjan actually proves it. This entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author shows leaders ho...

Lewis MacKenzie

One of the World’s Most Respected Military Heroes

When it comes to being a leader, few people—anywhere in the world—can approach the level of experience and credibility that military hero Major-General (ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie has reached. Considered ...