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René Carayol Profile

  • Globally Recognised Inclusive Leadership Keynote Speaker.

  • René Carayol is one of the world’s leading business gurus specializing in leadership, culture and transformation.

  • Advisor to Chief Executives & Heads of States.
  • René speaks, coaches and mentors with the authority and confidence of the leader who has seen and experienced it all before. René draws much from his own unique experiences as former Managing Director at IPC Magazines, serving on a variety of boards such as Pepsi and IPC Media, and even leading the largest management buyout in European history.

    René has acquired a reputation for providing first-hand advice and support for a series of successful CEOs in the Fortune 500, FTSE 100 and all around the world. Many may claim to have worked at the ‘sharp end’ with CEOs, but in actual fact very few have. He has worked closely with Jim Yong Kim (President, The World Bank), Antony Jenkins (CEO, Barclays Bank), Mario Greco (CEO, Generali) and Maria Ramos (CEO, Absa Bank). Hardly any can match his sustained track record of success.

    From sitting in the boardrooms to coaching world leaders, René’s extensive experience in business has provided him with case studies and stories from the frontline. There are exciting adventures, emotional anecdotes, and enough C-suite drama to excite any audience. René delivers learning wrapped up as unforgettable stories told by a master storyteller. You will want to hear them again and again.

    René specialises in delivering performances that show precisely how contemporary leaders can electrify a crowd through a passionate and authentic connection. He demonstrates just how captivating an emotionally intelligent approach can be. He is never about theory – it is all about actions and behaviours that we can adopt that will make us more powerful when we come together. Everyone remembers how his sessions made them feel. René is an accomplished visiting professor at Cass Business School. His critically acclaimed latest book, Spike – What are you great at?, enables all of us to unleash our inherent strengths and realise our true potential. As René says, “If you accept your limitations, you go beyond them”.

    René Carayol Speaking Videos

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    René Carayol's Speech Descriptions

    INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP - EVERYBODY IN – NOBODY OUT

    The year 2020 has changed life and business in every aspect as we know it. Tough and challenging subjects can no longer be ignored.

    Large businesses are at the forefront of those pertinent discussions and the change we want to see in our business and societies.

    From Sustainability, The Future of Work, to Inclusion, leaders are being tasked to navigate a post-pandemic world. They seek to rebuild their organisations culture and capability and build back better for societies and economies at large.

    Throughout the pandemic it all became very much obvious; this change will not happen without a concentrated effort towards Diversity and Inclusion. Many organisations have made meaningful statements and declarations of intent about Diversity and Inclusion but now comes the real challenge – the actual changes. The words are where we all want to be, the actions prove who we are and what we stand for.

    This essential commitment by businesses in Diversity and Inclusion is much more about Culture than it is about Strategy.

    This requires a little more leadership with a little less management.

    When every team member takes some ownership for performance, collaboration, morale, team spirit and values, so much more can be realised. But it starts with making them feel included and creating a culture of Inclusion which penetrates throughout any organisation.

    Rene will demonstrate how we can collaboratively work together to;
    - Create an inclusive culture where differences are valued
    - Make sustainable change a reality
    - Experience the power of vibrant teams

    We all need someone to believe in and something to belong to. We must try and create an environment where difference is respected, valued, and encourages an approach that when we all come together, we can create vibrant and innovative teams.

    CULTURE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN STRATEGY

    In most western developed economies, business leaders spend necessary time preparing and articulating the strategy for the business. This is obviously key and integral to its success.

    However, just as important, is the culture of the business, but it gets nowhere near as much attention as it deserves – until now.

    Progressive businesses have now learned how to fuel and oxygenate their culture, ensuring it is fit for purpose, and a key competitive advantage, a must in these rapidly changing times.

    René will share his extensive experience and exposure to some of the worlds’ leading corporate cultures, telling his inspiring stories with his deft sense of humour whilst challenging everyone in the auditorium to think again about culture.

    He will close this fascinating and challenging talk by leaving 10 pragmatic top tips on how to transform your corporate culture in a manner that will leave the audience excited and prepared for the transformation of their teams and the business.

    MANAGE A LITTLE LESS, LEAD A LITTLE MORE

    The world of work has gone through the most fundamental of changes, and we will never go back to the traditional method of running business. Demographic shifts, changes in global power structures, and disruptive innovation have completely transformed the business landscape forever.

    In recent times, a good enough management team, a good enough s trategy, and a good enough brand, was good enough. This is no longer the case. The certain ty of the recent past has been replaced by the uncertainty of contemporary times. The blunt instrument of Management alone just doesn’t cut it anymore. It is the time for Leadership, and Inspired Leadership at that.

    René will deliver real case studies, and stories that will make an authentic approach to Leadership both understandable and entertaining for your audience.

    He always ends with 10 top practical tips that will enable every attendee to practice a different approach to Leadership on their return to their place of work.

    This is no lecture, but very much an informative performance, using his distinctive sense of humour and some hard hitting and provocative messages.

    COLLABORATION IS THE NEW LEADERSHIP

    “Nothing is best done alone anymore” – no one leader can make all the tough calls on their own anymore. In today’s unforgiving markets, every leader requires the support of a diverse and high performing team. The business world is moving way too fast and many are weighed down with huge uncertainties and inherent risks. Building a collaborative and collegiate culture demands a new approach to leadership and a change in mindset.

    René will share case studies and stories from the front line to the Boardroom. He will share stories of abject failure, and of those who have stalled, but most of all, how many have succeeded.

    He will use his own personal brand of humour, laced with some provocative challenges which will inspire and energise your audience.

    René will close with his top 10 practical tips on how everyone in the room can move tangibly towards a more collaborative approach as soon as they get back to their place of work.

    EXTRAORDINARY TIMES DEMANDS EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP

    Extraordinary times demands extraordinary leadership, this must become the era where we look for a more diverse array of leaders.

    As Mark Twain pithily points out, leaders today have to handle constant pressure well and need to allow their people the room to grow by making mistakes and learning from them.

    What’s needed in these turbulent times is the feeling that our boss cares for us and supports us especially in times of uncertainty. Leadership today is altruism.

    The perfect close proximity role models for this new more empathetic type of leader are ‘mothers at home’. They excel at home because they can be who THEY want to be.

    They are also effective at setting boundaries and are there to deliver appropriate sanctions and consequences for inappropriate behaviour.

    They tend to do this with no hierarchy, and only implicit authority. Today, being the leader doesn’t have to mean behaving like the ‘boss’.

    What People are Saying about Seeing René Speak

    Rating Entries

    “Still basking in the glory of Kuala Lumpur. What a success that was. Nearly everyone said it’s the best offsite they’ve ever been on”
    – Standard Chartered Bank

    “He is one of the most inspiring speakers and coach’s I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”
    – Unite Students

    “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my team. I couldn’t have achieved these outstanding results without your support and guidance along the way”.
    – Barclays Europe

    “I don’t know how to thank you enough. The grateful messages and emails are flooding in along the lines of, “that was such a fantastic talk – one of the best I have ever attended”.
    – Warner Media UK

    “I wanted to thank you for a fantastic session. You promised storytelling and emotion and you certainly delivered!”
    – Credit Suisse

    “A big thank you for your priceless inspiration and motivation to our fabulous team over the past three days. You have left a phenomenal impression on me personally”.
    – Bank ABC

    “René’s wise counsel and experience has been transformational. Working intimately with René over the years has had a tremendous impact both on me and The World Bank”
    – The World Bank

    “Rene & Zak, A huge thanks for this afternoon – I think you really helped us turn a corner today . Onus is on us to now deliver the change we want to be! Have had terrific feedback – below is one example. Very much hope we can keep you on our leadership journey – it’s been a pleasure and privilege to hear your insights and share your own experiences.”
    – Tommy Nagra – Director of Content / BBC Children in Need

    I want to thank you and all the Exec for what was, in my opinion, the best Leadership away day that I’ve been to. Thank you for rearranging things so that we could have the entire afternoon with Rene. He is incredible and the session was so informative, engaging, thought provoking and impactful – I could go on but I think you know – Claire telling her story made me cry 🙂 I am going to go away and process everything I’ve heard and decide on the actions and behavioural tweaks I need to make to enable me to become a truly inspirational leader. Sessions such as this make me feel hugely valued and supported by the organisation and I wanted to show my appreciation.
    – Stefanie Rees / BBC Children in Need/b>

    “René has made a significant and tangible difference to how we build and align our top teams, and pushed us to lead a lot more and manage a little less. In the two years he worked with the President and his direct reports, they have been totally transformed”
    – Sean McGrath / VP of HR The World Bank/b>

    “René has continuously assisted me and my team in better deploying our Spikes that has made us a much better and stronger team – and it has made our very challenging targets so much more fun”
    – Nomkhita Nqweni / CEO, Wealth Management – Barclays Africa/b>

    “We were recommended René by Jim Yong Kim (President of The World Bank) to help my recently assembled Senior Management Team to accelerate our alignment and become far more performance driven. Suffice to say that we have him on a two year retainer to work with both myself, my team and or Board of Directors”
    – Akinwumi Adesina / President of the African Development Bank/b>

    “René has been my personal executive coach and has worked closely with my direct reports over the past two years – he has pushed us to transform ourselves into a high performing team”
    – Garry Sinclair / CEO, CWC (Cable and Wireless Caribbean)/b>

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    Books by René Carayol:

    Spike – What are you great at?

    In this groundbreaking book, René Carayol, leading business guru, top keynote speaker on Leadership and Culture, executive coach, shares the magic and simplicity of the SPIKE (Strengths Positively Identified Kick-start Excellence) philosophy.

    In the world of SPIKE, there are no losers anymore – everyone has something they are great at! The product of 30 years of supporting the growth and development of thousands of individuals and organizations globally, the book brings together a proven formula for personal and business development. The vital and essential ingredient of SPIKE is that everyone has at least one inherent strength. Finding those sometimes hidden strengths and energies, and then mobilizing them for your and other’s benefit, is the ultimate aim of this inspiring book.

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