Ann Handley

Ann Handley is recognized as a leading authority in digital marketing and content strategy, holding the distinction of being the world's first Chief Content Officer. Handley is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur who has co-founded two multimillion-dollar companies. Her career began in newspapers and magazines before she became the first Chief Content Officer at ClickZ, which she co-founded, and later at MarketingProfs. ClickZ was among the earliest sources of digital marketing information globally.

Her company, MarketingProfs, is an education and training platform with more than 600,000 subscribers, serving marketing professionals seeking to advance their skills in content marketing, B2B marketing, and digital strategy. MarketingProfs also hosts the annual B2B Marketing Forum. Handley has been cited in Forbes as an influential woman in social media and recognized by ForbesWoman as one of the top 20 women bloggers. She has used her platform to equip marketers worldwide with the expertise needed to drive business growth. IBM named Handley as one of seven individuals shaping the future of marketing, and she has more than 1 million social followers.

Handley is the author of several books in the marketing field, including the Wall Street Journal bestseller "Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content" and co-author of "Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business." Her books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and have been translated into multiple languages.

Handley is a sought-after keynote speaker, presenting at more than 40 business events and meetings worldwide each year, including those organized by Adobe, SAP, American Express, Scholastic Books, Sitecore, Twilio, and Cayman Islands Tourism. As the first Chief Content Officer and a bestselling author, she explores how human creativity serves as a competitive advantage in the era of artificial intelligence. Her newsletter reaches over 50,000 subscribers, offering insights into how brands and creators build engaged communities.

Handley has influenced how businesses and individuals communicate in the digital age, advocating for storytelling and human-centered communication over algorithmic approaches. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Financial Times, and NPR. Whether on stage or in print, Handley continues to shape the standards of authentic and purposeful marketing.