Business Leaders & CEO Speakers From Major Brands

Leading Authorities speakers bureau represents top business leaders from some of the world's largest brands. If your organization is trying to innovate and disrupt the marketplace, we have world-renowned thought leaders from companies like Google, Facebook, Buzzfeed, and Twitter. If you are focused on branding, marketing, and consumer loyalty, we also represent top names from companies such as Harley-Davidson, Nike, Gatorade, and the NFL. Here are a few of our top suggestions for business leader speakers and CEO speakers from the world's biggest companies and most well-known brands.

Let us know if you are interested in one of our speakers for your event.

Emerging Technologies Expert; Former Communications Executive at SpaceX & Facebook

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With more than a decade working at the heart of the technology industry, Dex Hunter-Torricke has managed communications for some of the most-influential and admired Silicon Valley leaders and corporations of our day. In his daily work, Dex plays a critical role in writing the next chapter on science, tech, the economy, and society across the globe, and spearheads efforts to bring the stories of how the world is being moved forward to light. From 2012-2016, he led the executive communications team at Facebook and served as personal speechwriter for Mark Zuckerberg. He then went on to join SpaceX as senior director of communications. He later served as the VP Global Communications & Public Engagement for the Oversight Board for Meta, the independent body that makes decisions on Facebook and Instagram’s most challenging content issues. Dex takes audiences into Facebook’s boardroom, Musk’s open-concept cubicle, the famed Googleplex, and finally to the UN itself to share lessons on what it takes in today’s environment to build highly effective internal teams, how to use storytelling in modern communications, and what to make of the steady transition from local to global that’s unfolded over the past decade.

Former Group CEO of BMW GB, Porsche GB, & Lamborghini GB

Fees
  • Local: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US East: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Recognised as “the man who fixes businesses” Kevin Gaskell has an impressive track record in building and leading successful companies. As CEO of Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, Gaskell led hugely successful turnarounds that are pointed to as examples of how to successfully transform companies and position them for long-term success. His energy and leadership have helped companies to achieve world-class levels of customer service and financial performance, and he speaks with electricity about using inspired leadership to achieve incredible results.

President and Chief Revenue Officer, Salesforce and Former Chief Executive, BT Group

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Gavin Patterson is the president and chief revenue officer of Salesforce.com, Inc., leading the CRM company's global sales organization. He previously served as Chief Executive, BT from 2013-19. During his tenure, Patterson completed the UK rollout of the superfast fibre and started the deployment ultrafast fibre. He led the £15billion acquisition of EE, launched BT Sport, expanded BT’s cyber security practice and championed BT’s social purpose agenda. He joined BT in 2004 as MD Consumer and joined the board as CEO BT Retail in 2008. Prior to BT, he spent four years at Virgin Media and nine years at Procter & Gamble. Patterson is a Non-Executive Director at British Airways plc and a Trustee of the British Museum. He graduated from Cambridge University with an MEng in Chemical Engineering.

Former Chairman and Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer

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Lord Stuart Rose is the former chairman and chief executive of Marks & Spencer, Argos, Arcadia Group, and Booker Plc. Stuart, one of the preeminent executives in retail and one of the best-known British business leaders, is credited with giving Marks & Spencer renewed energy and cachet among younger, more fashion-savvy customers. During his time, he successfully defended the company from several takeover attempts, helped to rejuvenate the brand and was named the 2006 Business Leader of the Year by the World Leadership Forum.

Renowned Business Leader, CEO of EXOS the Performance Coaching Company, Former President of Equinox, Former Global President of Gatorade, Former Marketing Director at Nike and the Virgin Group

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Described by the media as everything from “Superwoman undercover” to “The Pied Piper of potential,” Sarah Robb O’Hagan is an executive, activist, entrepreneur, and founder of Extreme Living — a content platform designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations play to their highest potential. Currently, she is the CEO of EXOS, the leading performance coaching company that gets people ready for the moments that matter most in their work, sport, and daily lives. EXOS clients range from NFL players and Olympians to corporate executives, military personnel, and every day people looking to manage stressors and thrive in the new normal of fast-paced modern-day life. Drawing on her decades experience at some of the world's most influential brands, she shares practical takeaways including how to make failure your fuel, discover your most competitive playing field, get out of line rather than always following conventional wisdom, and bring out the “extreme" in others.

CEO, Girls Who Code

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Asia: £35,001 - £55,000*
With a career dedicated to addressing inequities in education and helping young women of all backgrounds succeed, Dr. Tarika Barrett is at the forefront of expanding the pipeline of women entering tech and removing the obstacles that stand in the way of them reaching their full potential. As the CEO of Girls Who Code, an international non-profit organization disrupting the tech industry and transforming perceptions of what a programmer can look like, she spearheads initiatives aimed at closing the gender gap in technology by inspiring, educating, and equipping young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Co-Chairman of Albertsons, Former CEO of Starbucks, Former CEO of Extended Stay Hotels, & Former CEO of Pathmark Supermarkets

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
Jim Donald – the current co-chairman and former CEO of Albertsons, and the former CEO of Starbucks, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, and Extended Stay Hotels – focuses on innovation, quality, and service. He started his career as a grocer; he was handpicked by Sam Walton to build a supermarket presence for Wal-Mart. He helped Starbucks enjoy record growth and performance and increase its social responsibility commitment. At Extended Stay Hotels, Donald utilizing his reputation for turning around ailing companies. Named one of the “Top 25 CEOs in the World,” he addresses leadership, management, the power of one customer.

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America Inc.

Fees
  • Local: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US East: £75,001 and up*
  • US West: £75,001 and up*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
An award-winning innovator and disruptor, Reggie Fils-Aimé is a proven expert on transforming companies, re-vitalizing brands, and reshaping industries to solve daunting challenges and achieve ‘the impossible.’ Most recently, he was the president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America – the first American and African-American to hold this position. Revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike, Fils-Aimé helped bring Nintendo’s greatest successes – including the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace. Using his personal story as an example, he shares with audiences his principles for effective and innovative leadership, including defining a vision, courage in decision-making, and “irrefutable integrity.”

Former Amazon Executives, Authors, and Co-Founders, Working Backwards, LLC

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Colin Bryar is a business advisor and technology leader whose career has focused on optimizing business strategy and operations. He is a former top-level executive at Amazon, where he spent more than 12 years – much of it in the early aughts during the company’s period of unmatched innovation – leading the operations for IMDb.com, as well as working directly with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help with overall business strategy, technology, and operations. Bryar is the co-author of Working Backwards, along with former Amazon executive Bill Carr, which provides an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices. Taking audiences inside the room, Bryar demonstrates how the principles and practices key to “Being Amazonian” can be scaled and applied to any organization. Bill Carr is a strategic business leader who has spent his career at the forefront of tech innovation. He is a former top-level executive at Amazon, where he worked for more than 15 years – much of it in the early aughts during the company’s period of unmatched innovation – launching and managing Amazon’s global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. Under his leadership, Amazon's digital media business grew into a global operation exceeding $1 billion in revenue as the company pushed to compete with Apple, Netflix, and Hulu. Carr is the co-author of Working Backwards, along with former Amazon executive Colin Bryar, which provides an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices. Taking audiences inside the room, Carr demonstrates how the principles and practices key to “Being Amazonian” can be scaled and applied to any organization.

Transformational Leader and Former Chairperson, President, & CEO of Jamba Juice

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £75,001 and up*
  • US West: £75,001 and up*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
James is a founding member and board chair at Directors Academy, a national not-for-profit organization with the mission of identifying, developing and advancing the next generation of diverse board members and leaders. Previously, he was Chairman, President, and CEO of Jamba Juice, which he transformed from a smoothie shop to a leading global, healthy active lifestyle brand. Prior to joining Jamba Juice, he held senior executive roles at Safeway Stores, the Gillette Company, Nestle-Purina, and Coca-Cola. James currently serves on the boards of leading brands including The Honest Company, Affirm, Medallia, Simply Good Foods, Schnuck Markets, and Bay Club. James is a passionate champion for diversity and inclusion and has been recognized with numerous awards including the American Heart Association Corporate Citizen Award (2014) and Junior Achievement’s Northern California Lifetime Achievement Award (2013). In 2010 the San Francisco Business Times named Mr. White as the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEO.

Activist Entrepreneur; Former CEO of World Central Kitchen

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
A seasoned leader and gifted entrepreneur, Nate Mook knows what it takes to turn words into action and ideas into impact. For five years, Mook was the CEO of World Central Kitchen, working alongside world-renowned activist and humanitarian Chef José Andrés on the frontlines to ensure people in disaster zones have access to fresh meals and building food resilient systems with locally led solutions. Widely recognized for his expertise in technology, filmmaking, and building nonprofit organizations, Mook brings a Swiss Army knife approach to crafting powerful stories that bring people together and drive change in the world.

Former Chief of Security at Facebook & Stanford University Professor

Fees
  • Local: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Asia: £35,001 - £55,000*
Alex Stamos is a cybersecurity expert, business leader, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to improving the security and safety of the Internet. He serves as the chief trust officer for SentinelOne (NYSE: S), whose mission is to defeat every attack every second of every day with AI-powered threat prevention, detection, response, and hunting. At the same time, he is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, where his teaching and research focuses on international security and cooperation. Formerly Facebook’s chief security officer and Yahoo’s chief information security officer, Stamos is regarded among the most authoritative experts and problem-solvers in his field. The New York Times called Stamos “a celebrated figure in privacy and security circles,” and Tech Crunch said he is “widely regarded as one of the smartest people working in the security space.”

Former CISO at Twitter and Former Head of Security at Mozilla

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: £35,001 - £55,000*
Michael Coates has worked in the information security space for the past 20 years, leading security at global organizations, such as Twitter and Mozilla, and protecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Coates is currently the CISO of CoinList and the CEO of the sub-entity CoinList Digital Asset Services, a leading exchange platform that is disrupting the Web 3.0 and cryptocurrency digital asset offerings. He is also a co-founder of Altitude Networks and served as its CEO before a successful exit following the company’s acquisition. Previously, Coates was the Chief Information Security Officer at Twitter. There, his team worked to protect nearly 300 million users, securing both Twitter systems and user data.

Co-founder of Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Sahar Hashemi OBE is a UK entrepreneur, best known as co-founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic and confectionery brand Skinny Candy. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to the UK economy and to charity. She has been named to various power lists, including those compiled by the Daily Mail, Independent on Sunday[2] and Management Today. Her latest book Switched On: 10 Habits to Being Highly Effective in Your Job, and Loving it focuses on creating an entrepreneurial mindset for employees in large companies. Sahar says, "The future is all about being entrepreneurial in the employee context. You need to bring your whole personality – not just the ‘professional’ you - to work. Move outside your comfort zone, ignite your innate creativity and forget the ‘this is how we’ve always done things’ mentality. Don’t fear failure, fear complacency. "

Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £75,001 and up*
  • US West: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
With a medical, scientific, and philanthropic career that spans more than 30 years, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann has devoted her life to improving the human condition through innovation. Most recently, she was the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading the organization’s vision for a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. She was formerly the first female chancellor of University of California at San Francisco and spent 14 years at biotech firm Genentech, leading the development of a number of breakthrough medicines. An innovator and leader in life sciences, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann’s diverse training as an oncologist, scientist, and business executive leads to her endless curiosity about the world and her desire to change it for the better. In speeches, she shares her unique insights not only on revolutionizing global health, but also on effective and innovative leadership. Using lessons-learned as a trailblazing female leader of one of the world’s largest philanthropies, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann inspires audiences with her unparalleled perspective on how to foster an environment of collaboration and relentless innovation to drive disruptive solutions that make an impact.