Keynote Speaking

Keynotes that give a room something to think about, and something to do on Monday.

For conferences, leadership offsites, executive teams, member associations, and organizational events.

I've sat in enough rooms to know what a good keynote does. It doesn't just inform. It creates a shift. People leave seeing something differently than they did when they arrived. And on Monday morning, they make different choices because of it.

My keynotes combine leadership development, Positive Psychology, organizational experience, and practical insights drawn from more than twenty-five years working with leaders, teams, and organizations.

Wendy Van Besien speaking at the JCC women's event

From the Stage · JCC Women's Event

Stages I've had the privilege to share

Johnson & Johnson Bayer Perrigo Ascensia L'Oréal Colgate-Palmolive Mars American Express Medidata Healthfirst

Signature Keynotes

Three signature talks.

A sample of my keynote topics. I customize every presentation to the audience, event, and organizational context.

Flourishing Under Pressure

How do we remain fully human when life becomes difficult?

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Neither do careers, leadership journeys, teams, or organizations. Drawing on Positive Psychology, resilience research, post-traumatic growth, and personal experience, this keynote explores what helps people continue to grow, contribute, connect, and find meaning during difficult seasons.

Participants leave with a deeper understanding of resilience, wellbeing, and the surprising ways challenge can become a catalyst for growth.

What Helps People Thrive at Work?

A conversation about leadership, performance, and human flourishing.

For more than twenty-five years, I've been fascinated by a simple question: what helps people thrive? I've explored that question through leadership development, executive coaching, Positive Psychology, and thousands of conversations with leaders and teams. This keynote explores the patterns that consistently show up in thriving leaders, healthy teams, and effective organizations.

Participants leave with practical insights, fresh perspective, and a deeper understanding of what helps people perform at their best.

Leading Through Uncertainty

What helps leaders remain effective when the path forward isn't clear?

Most leaders aren't struggling because they lack information. They're leading through complexity. Competing priorities. Constant change. Uncertainty. And the pressure to make important decisions when the path forward isn't obvious. Drawing on more than two decades of experience working with leaders and organizations, this keynote explores what effective leaders do when certainty disappears.

Participants leave with practical tools, greater clarity, and a renewed understanding of how leadership can create stability even when circumstances do not.

Audiences Leave With

What rooms take with them.

  • A fresh perspective on leadership, teams, resilience, and performance.
  • Practical insights they can immediately apply.
  • A deeper understanding of what helps people and organizations thrive.
  • A shared language for navigating complexity and change.
  • Ideas that continue the conversation long after the event ends.

Common Audiences

Rooms I've had the privilege to share.

Leadership Conferences Professional Associations Executive Teams Corporate Events Leadership Offsites Women's Leadership Events Healthcare Conferences Human Resources Conferences Organizational Development Communities

Formats & Venues

How the work travels.

Format
Keynote · Fireside chat · Panel · Workshop-keynote hybrid
Length
45 minutes · 60 minutes · 75 minutes · 90 minutes
Audience size
Small executive team · Mid-size leadership room · Large conference
Venue
In person · Virtual · Hybrid
Booking
Typically 4–12 weeks out
Speaker fee
On request, scaled to format and venue

Book a keynote

Tell me about the room.

Tell me the audience, the moment, the question you want them leaving with. We'll find the right talk, or build one.

Inquire about a speaking date