Lisa Bodell

As epic change tests us daily, every leader and organization must urgently create new capacity – to adapt, to think, and to act on the work and priorities that actually matter. Easier said than done. People are drowning in the work of work and leaders are handcuffed by conflicting expectations and other hurdles. To meet this challenge, Lisa Bodell, the globally recognized expert and bestselling author of "Why Simple Wins" and "Kill the Company," helps organizations fix what’s broken with work and leadership – the things that get in the way of building capacity and thriving in this environment.

Using her expertise, organizations and leaders are eliminating unnecessary complexity, restoring clarity, and creating the capacity leaders and teams need to perform, innovate, and thrive. Bodell is a trusted, non-threatening disruptor who shows organizations how to stop reacting to chaos and start redesigning how work actually gets done. She also helps leaders reclaim focus, lead with clarity, and replace burnout with momentum – so leadership becomes real again, not performative.

Bodell is the founder and CEO of FutureThink, a global innovation and simplification firm that partners with organizations such as Google, Netflix, Pfizer, SAP, AT&T, Citigroup, and the U.S. Department of National Intelligence. Since founding FutureThink in 2003, she has helped organizations challenge outdated models, eliminate friction, and simplify work in ways that drive speed, engagement, and sustained performance.

A bestselling author known for challenging the status quo while making change feel practical and human, Bodell encourages leaders to stop fixing people to do more work – and start fixing work to better fit people. Through powerful stories, interactive experiences, and real-world tools like “Kill a Stupid Rule,” she helps organizations turn clarity into action.

Bodell’s passion for simplicity is deeply personal. Raised in a family environment marked by instability and unpredictability, she learned early how to survive chaos – skills that fueled her success but eventually led to burnout. That experience shaped her belief that the answer isn’t learning to manage chaos, but eliminating it altogether. This perspective resonates strongly with leaders navigating relentless change and impossible expectations.

A sought-after keynote speaker ranked among the world’s Top 50, Bodell delivers high-impact talks that inspire leaders to lead with clarity, courage, and focus. Her work spans leadership transformation, simplification in times of upheaval, and reimagining innovation in an AI-powered world – always emphasizing that technology should amplify human thinking, not replace it.

Bodell began her career at Leo Burnett after earning her business degree from the University of Michigan, where she learned to merge strategic rigor with bold ideas. She has taught innovation at American University and Fordham University, delivered a popular TED talk, and serves on advisory boards including the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council and the Association of Professional Futurists.

Bodell doesn’t just talk about change – she helps organizations fix what’s broken, simplify what matters most, and build leaders and cultures ready for the future.