Management Thought Leader, Former Media Executive, Columnist, Bestselling Author & Author of "A Bigger Prize: How We Can Do Better than the Competition"
Margaret Heffernan Biography
Dr. Margaret Heffernan produced programs for the BBC for 13 years. She produced dramas and documentaries in radio and television and was the first producer to put Simon Schama on TV. She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company, and Standard & Poors. She served as Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation, and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter.
The author of six books, Margaret's third book, "Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril" was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for "A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn’t Everything and How We Do Better," described as "meticulously researched... engagingly written... universally relevant and hard to fault." Her TED talks have been viewed by over fifteen million people, and in 2015, TED published "Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes." Her book, "Uncharted: How to map the future," published in 2020, quickly became a bestseller and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award, was one of Bloomberg’s Best Books of 2021, and was chosen as the "Medium Best of the Best" business book. Her new book, "Embracing Uncertainty," will be published in March 2025.
She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS, and has advised the Casey Review into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse led by Alexis Jay. In 2023, Margaret was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame for her lasting contribution to management thinking.
She is a frequent broadcaster on BBC Radio 4 and the author of many broadcast plays. She writes for the Financial Times and is a parish counselor. Additionally, Margaret holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and is the Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme.
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Margaret Heffernan Speaking Topics
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HUMAN WORK
The world is awash with forecasts and predictions about the future of work. They all contradict each other, revealing how much we don’t know about what the dynamic workforce of the future will need or look like. But there are fundamental mindsets and attitudes which will make organizations better able to be creative and responsive as the world changes. What does your company need to be trustworthy, relevant and capable of adapting to what cannot yet be seen.
This talk derives from all of Dr Heffernan’s major work around collaboration, creativity, curiosity and the need for organizations of all kind to stay connected to the societies they serve.
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UNCHARTED: How to think about an unpredictable future
We are all brought up to plan: for families, careers, businesses. But planning requires that we can forecast the future – and today that is harder than ever. Experts in prediction argue that the very best they can do is forecast 400 days out. For those less gifted, the horizon is 150 days. Most forecasts are propaganda or wishful thinking. Models fail because they leave out what later matters and history doesn’t repeat itself. So what do we do in the light of the fact that we don’t know what the future holds?
Companies that don’t want to be stuck in incrementalism do experiments, testing what the future could look like. In doing so, they find options and opportunities no amount of planning would surface. Imaginative scenarios of possible futures build a more robust culture and reveal possibilities. Institutions like CERN show how it is possible to run successful organizations even when mired in uncertainty and ambiguity. Artists build work that remains vital and meaningful across generations; we can learn from them. Survivors of existential crisis show the capabilities we must hold in reserve. In an age of uncertainty, preparedness is a more productive mindset than planning.
Uncharted is being published in February 2020 in the UK and September 2020 in the US. Be prepared….
Margaret Heffernan Videos
How To See Things Clearly | Full Talk | Margaret Heffernan
Businesswoman and author of Willful Blindness Margaret Heffernan puts forward her theory and outlines how individuals can open their...
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How do I book Margaret Heffernan to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Margaret Heffernan for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Margaret Heffernan, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Margaret Heffernan or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Margaret Heffernan
Speaking fees for Margaret Heffernan, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Margaret Heffernan are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Margaret Heffernan, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Margaret Heffernan speak about?
Margaret Heffernan is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Business, Business Leadership, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, European Heritage, Female Leadership, Influential Women, Innovation, Inspirational, Leadership, Personal Growth, Professors, TED, Women in Business -
Where does Margaret Heffernan travel from?
Margaret Heffernan generally travels from UK, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Margaret Heffernan’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Margaret Heffernan for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Margaret Heffernan for your next private or corporate function. -
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Margaret Heffernan is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as HUMAN WORK, UNCHARTED: How to think about an unpredictable future, COLLABORATION: A BIGGER PRIZE and WILFUL BLINDNESS. The estimated speaking fee range to book Margaret Heffernan for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. Margaret Heffernan generally travels from UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shiza Shahid, Billie Jean King, Tiffany Yu, Cassandra Worthy and Arlan Hamilton. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Margaret Heffernan for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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