René’s focus is on inspirational leadership and culture, bound together with a compelling philosophy founded on his own board level experience

Extraordinary times demand extraordinary leadership and make no mistake about it; we are entering unprecedented and turbulent waters.

Looking for clues from the past on how to navigate the storm is proving useless and “off the shelf” solutions simply no longer prepare organisations for what lies ahead, regardless of their sector or industry.

It has become a business imperative to consider if you have the necessary attitudes and leadership in place to ensure your organisation continues to thrive.

In the traditional world a good product or service coupled with a good management team was sufficient to ensure success. But in today's aggressive and unforgiving market place they are no longer enough on their own.

Progressive, contemporary businesses are learning the hard way that leadership and culture are what separates the winners from the losers. The race is no longer about being the best; everybody is trying to do that. The winners are those that strive to be unique, special and different. They know the difference between management and leadership.

René Carayol is one of the world's leading business gurus specialising in leadership and culture, drawing from his own unique experiences on the boards of the biggest British and American organisations; from Marks & Spencer and Pepsi to IPC Media and the Inland Revenue.

He is the best selling author of the leadership and culture bible, “Corporate Voodoo” and has had the privilege of working closely with some of the world's best leaders; from former US President Bill Clinton to the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and from former US Secretary of State Colin Powell to Sir Richard Branson.

René is a regular broadcaster for the BBC and has presented the influential “Pay Off Your Mortgage In 2 Years” series, BBC2’s flagship business offering “The Money Programme” and the critically acclaimed “Mind Of A Millionaire” and “Man From The Met” documentaries. He is a broadsheet columnist, a frequent voice on Radio 5 Live and a regular expert commentator on Sky News and BBC Breakfast.

He has provided leadership support to the likes of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, the Home Office and McKinsey and Co, and is now an accomplished Visiting Professor at Cass business school. In 2004 he was awarded an MBE for outstanding service to the business community.

It is this unrivalled business acumen that has seen René chair and address conferences and business summits across the world, including the prestigious “Leaders in London” event for four consecutive years.

He has provided board-level mentoring and international master classes to some of the world’s biggest corporations and has established a plethora of globally renowned names in his client portfolio; including Reuters, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, L’Oréal, CNN, Vodafone and Barclays Bank, where he helped establish it as a leading brand in Africa.

René asks awkward and uncomfortable questions. How do you change old-fashioned, risk-adverse processes that are ill suited to emerging global markets? How do you secure and nurture the talents of a new generation of leaders? How do you overcome cynicism and complacency, and replace them with resolve?

Everybody thinks their leadership team is strong enough in times of success. But is it fit for purpose when the going gets tough? If ever there was a time for leadership to set the vision and instill confidence, it is now.

René has built his reputation on knowing businesses better than they do themselves; providing answers and solutions no matter how big or small the problems that simmer below the surface.

His messages are practical, real life experiences presented with electrifying effect. He both shakes up and inspires his audiences, showing them not only what lies within their grasp but when to grasp the nettle; keeping them one step ahead of the chasing pack.

This year René’s main focus is on:

Extraordinary Times Demand Extraordinary Leadership

With René's hands-on experience mentoring leadership teams at the highest level of some of the world's biggest corporations, his messages are practical, real life solutions presented with electrifying effect. He both shakes up and inspires his audiences, showing them not only what lies within their grasp but when to grasp the nettle; keeping them one step ahead of the chasing pack.

This can be delivered as a compelling stand alone talk or presented with a focus on the following critical topics:

•    Leading Through Turbulent Times
•    Culture Is More Powerful Than Strategy
•    Managing A Little Less... Leading A Little More
•    What Do You Stand For?
•    When Your Heritage Is Not Your Destiny
•    Hire With Fire
•    Continue To Do What You Do Best And Partner To Achieve The Rest.

Areas of expertise

•    leadership
•    entrepreneurialism
•    organisational culture
•    diversity
•    change management
•    recruiting and retaining talent
•    building of high performance teams
•    role and responsibilities of the board of directors
•    fast track management group
•    customer service
•    mergers and acquisitions
•    technology
•    retail

Testimonials

After listening to René you just want to go on "flying". - Vattenfall

I heard you talk at our conference on Saturday and would like to thank you for a totally inspirational speech. I was fascinated.  - Barclays Global Investors

René’s presentation made it all worthwhile! - FLA Credit Risk Conference 2006

Thanks for having done a great job in Paris with our clients. - IBM – SAP

Thank you for giving such an inspirational opening address at The World Trade Conference. Your style was both entertaining and informative. - World Trade Conference

René brought perspective, content and all the key messages together and ended on a high (at the same time cutting out all the time wasting and unnecessary deliveries that can appear on an agenda) – Intel

You wowed the audience, and the feedback from delegates was 100% positive - so, from our perspective, it was really good to finish on such a high note. - KPMG Corporate Finance's Forum

In true René style, the session was innovative, motivating (or should I say morale boosting, depending on how one should interpret your description of the difference between the two!) and above all inspirational. - L'Oreal

Book René Carayol, as a speaker now

To book René Carayol, or any of our other speakers for your event, or to discuss your requirements further with one of our consultants, contact us via the web, or call +44 (0) 1628 636 600.

Add René Carayol to your shortlist.     |     Print speaker biography