Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM is one of the world’s most recognised leadership experts, and has been ranked as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world.

With 30 years senior leadership experience Kirstin spent fifteen years as a board chair and company director, sitting on a wide range of private company, large publicly listed and government boards. These roles also included an appointment by the Australian Prime Minister as Acting Chair and Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Kirstin’s executive career included roles as CEO of a global consulting firm, and a senior executive at a leading corporate law firm. Kirstin began her career as an Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force.

In 2023, Kirstin was recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant contributions to business and gender equality.

Bestselling author and award-winning leadership researcher, Kirstin has a PhD in leadership and culture and is an Adjunct Professor at the QUT School of Business. Kirstin also has honours degrees in Law, and History.

Kirstin won the prestigious Thinkers50 Distinguished Award for Leadership and was ranked in the Thinkers50 list of top fifty management thinkers in the world.

An author of two books, her latest book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership (Penguin Random House, 2023), debuted in the top 10 non-fiction bestseller list on release, and has won numerous awards.

Kirstin has opened conferences and spoken at corporate events all over the world including keynotes at UNLEASH HR in Las Vegas and Paris, SXSW Sydney, Oracle CloudWorld in Las Vegas, Paradigm Shift in Los Angeles, and IOSH London.

With experience opening and closing events from many hundreds of attendees, to many thousands, Kirstin brings her power of storytelling through videos and case studies, her personal leadership experience, research credibility and down-to-earth manner to every speaking engagement.

Kirstin inspires, engages and educates her audiences while imparting wisdom and knowledge for attendees to take away and apply.

Speaking Topics Include

Leading with Impact: Mastering the art of modern leadership

In this highly interactive keynote address, award-winning leadership expert and best-selling author, Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM, will both entertain and challenge attendees. She will encourage everyone, regardless of their position title, to consider whether their leadership approach is still fit for purpose. Kirstin reminds us that leadership is simply a series of moments, and each moment presents an opportunity to leave a positive impact.

Through the use of videos, case studies and her down-to-earth style, Kirstin will challenge each of us to think about how we can best role model leading with the head and heart, especially amidst the demands of an increasingly complex working environment. Drawing from the latest research from her bestselling book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership, Kirstin will provide insights that are guaranteed to inspire you to become the most effective leader you can be.

Kirstin tailors her presentation content to the audience, industry, or organisation – ensuring it is engaging and relevant for all attendees.

Key takeaways:

Overview of the attributes of head and heart leadership

Understanding the most effective ways to lead with impact and the power that leadership moments have at work, in our communities and in our families

Reinforcing we are all leaders, regardless of our position titles

Understanding how to integrate our leadership across all areas of our life

Personalised Head and Heart Leader Scale report

Delivery Options:

Keynote – up to 1 hour

Workshop – up to 2 hours

Kirstin can speak to any of the following areas:

Trust and Purpose

Emotional intelligence

Feedback cultures

Crisis leadership

Diversity and inclusion

Corporate culture

Psychologically safe workplaces

Kirstin’s personal leadership journey