Holly Ransom Alternatives: 8 Keynote Speakers for Leadership and Change in 2026
| If Holly Ransom is booked or outside your budget, Chris Dyer, named the #1 Leadership Speaker to Follow in 2026 by MSN.com, is a strong alternative for leadership and change keynotes, with a published 2026 US fee of $15,000 plus travel. This guide lists eight alternatives matched to the reason Holly was on your shortlist, and it explains when Holly herself is still the right call. |
Table of Contents
- Who Holly Ransom Is and Why Planners Book Her
- How to Choose a Holly Ransom Alternative
- 8 Holly Ransom Alternatives
- Holly Ransom Alternatives Compared
- When Holly Ransom Is Still the Right Choice
- Questions to Ask Any Holly Ransom Alternative
- Why I Talk About Change the Way I Do
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Check Chris Dyer’s Availability
If you’re considering Holly Ransom for your next conference and need a second option, Chris Dyer is one of the strongest alternatives for leadership and change audiences. Inc. Magazine named him the #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture, and he has delivered 300+ keynotes in 20+ countries for clients including NASA and General Motors. The right alternative depends on why Holly was on your list in the first place, so this guide starts there.
Who Holly Ransom Is and Why Planners Book Her
Holly Ransom is an Australian keynote speaker and moderator. She is also the CEO of Emergent, a strategy and advisory firm. In 2014 the Australian Prime Minister appointed her to chair the G20 Youth Summit. In 2016 she became co-chair of the United Nations Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs, and she was the youngest director ever appointed to an Australian Football League club, Port Adelaide.
In 2018 Barack Obama personally requested that she moderate his only public engagement in Australia. She has since interviewed figures like Sir Richard Branson and Brené Brown on stage. Her book The Leading Edge was published by Penguin in 2021, and she completed a Master of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School as a Fulbright Scholar.
That résumé explains why her name shows up in Google’s autocomplete when planners type phrases like “keynote speaker booking” and “keynote speaker for hire.” She is a skilled keynoter and one of the best stage interviewers working today.
Planners usually look for an alternative for one of four reasons: the date is taken, the travel from Australia doesn’t fit the budget, the event needs a different topic focus, or the committee wants a speaker with direct operating experience running a company.
How to Choose a Holly Ransom Alternative
Decide Whether You Need a Keynoter or an Interviewer
Holly does both, which is rare. If the main job is moderating a fireside chat with your CEO or a celebrity guest, look for a professional moderator first. If the main job is a 45 to 60 minute keynote that shifts how your people lead, the list below is built for you.
Match the Topic Before the Fame
Holly’s talks center on disruption and the future of leadership. Write down the one problem your audience is facing right now. A sales team missing quota needs a different speaker than a hospital system losing nurses, even if both events are called a “leadership summit.” Then compare that problem against each finalist’s recent keynote titles and descriptions. If you have to squint to see the connection, keep looking.
Check How They Customize
Ask every finalist what happens between booking and the stage. Strong speakers hold a discovery call, interview a few people in the audience, and rebuild examples around your industry. Chris Dyer reviews each team’s specific challenges before the event and adjusts stories and examples to match.
Weigh Travel and Time Zones
For a US event, a US-based speaker usually lowers the total cost and the jet-lag risk. Chris Dyer is based in Southern California, and his 2026 US keynote fee of $15,000 includes a flat $1,500 travel fee that covers everything except the hotel, so the budget doesn’t move when airfares do.
Ask for Proof From Rooms Like Yours
A great testimonial from a tech conference tells you little about how a speaker will land with credit union executives. Ask for references from your industry and audience size, and ask what the client did differently 90 days later.
8 Holly Ransom Alternatives
1. Chris Dyer: Best for Leading Through Change and Culture
Chris Dyer built five Inc. 5000 companies over 20 years before he moved to the stage full time, so his keynotes come from running teams through change himself. His most-booked keynotes are Moments That Matter, Thriving Through Relentless Change, and The 7 Pillars of Amazing Culture. MSN.com named him the #1 Leadership Speaker to Follow in 2026, and Global Gurus ranked him #15 among the world’s top organizational culture professionals.
Audiences leave with specific tools rather than general inspiration. Moments That Matter gives leaders a way to spot the handful of moments employees remember for years. Thriving Through Relentless Change uses his People > Process > Tools > Technology framework to help teams absorb change without burning out. The 7 Pillars keynote turns culture into behaviors a manager can practice on Monday.
Best for: leadership conferences, all-hands meetings, and kickoffs where the goal is better leadership behavior after the event. 2026 fee: $15,000 for a US keynote of up to 60 minutes, plus travel; $10,000 virtual.
2. Laura Gassner Otting: Best for Purpose and Ambition
Laura Gassner Otting is the author of Limitless (2019) and Wonderhell (2023). She spent years recruiting leaders for mission-driven organizations, and her talks help people define success on their own terms. A good fit if Holly was on your list for her energy around ambition and purpose.
3. Erica Dhawan: Best for Communication and Collaboration
Erica Dhawan wrote Digital Body Language (2021) and Get Big Things Done (2015). Her keynotes focus on how teams build trust and avoid miscommunication across digital channels. Strong for organizations where collaboration is breaking down between departments.
4. Tiffani Bova: Best for Growth and Customer Experience
Tiffani Bova spent years as a growth evangelist at Salesforce and wrote Growth IQ (2018) and The Experience Mindset (2023). She is a data-heavy, business-strategy speaker, a good choice when the audience is commercial leaders who want a growth playbook.
5. Josh Linkner: Best for Innovation and Creativity
Josh Linkner founded ePrize and has written several books on innovation, including Big Little Breakthroughs (2021). His keynotes teach small, repeatable creative habits instead of moonshots. A fit if Holly’s “disruption” angle drew you in.
6. Jason Dorsey: Best for Generations at Work
Jason Dorsey leads The Center for Generational Kinetics and co-wrote Zconomy (2020). He uses research on Gen Z and millennials to help companies recruit and keep younger talent. A fit if your audience is wrestling with a multigenerational workforce.
7. Shasta Nelson: Best for Connection and Belonging
Shasta Nelson is the author of The Business of Friendship (2020) and an expert on workplace connection and loneliness. Her talks give teams practical ways to build trust and belonging, especially useful after reorganizations or rapid growth.
8. Neil Redding: Best for Futures Thinking
Neil Redding is a futurist and the founder of Redding Futures. He helps leaders think through how emerging technology will reshape customer and brand experience. A fit if Holly was on your list for her forward-looking view and you want a futurist lens on your industry.
Holly Ransom Alternatives Compared
| Speaker | Best For | Known For |
| Holly Ransom | Disruption keynotes and high-profile interviews | CEO of Emergent; moderated Barack Obama in 2018; The Leading Edge (2021) |
| Chris Dyer | Leadership through change and culture | MSN #1 Leadership Speaker to Follow in 2026; Inc. #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture; 5x Inc. 5000 CEO |
| Laura Gassner Otting | Purpose and ambition | Limitless (2019); Wonderhell (2023) |
| Erica Dhawan | Communication and collaboration | Digital Body Language (2021) |
| Tiffani Bova | Growth and customer experience | Growth IQ (2018); The Experience Mindset (2023) |
| Josh Linkner | Innovation | Founder of ePrize; Big Little Breakthroughs (2021) |
| Jason Dorsey | Generations at work | The Center for Generational Kinetics; Zconomy (2020) |
| Shasta Nelson | Connection and belonging | The Business of Friendship (2020) |
| Neil Redding | Futures thinking | Founder of Redding Futures |
When Holly Ransom Is Still the Right Choice
Book Holly if the centerpiece of your program is an on-stage interview with a famous guest. Few speakers can match her record as a moderator. She is also a natural pick for Asia-Pacific events, where her local profile is strongest, and for youth leadership programs, where her own story as a young director and G20 chair carries real weight.
If your event needs a keynote that changes how managers lead their teams the following week, the alternatives above are worth a serious look, and Chris Dyer’s change and culture keynotes are built for exactly that outcome.
Questions to Ask Any Holly Ransom Alternative
Use these on your first call with each finalist or their bureau. The answers will separate speakers who customize from speakers who repeat the same talk.
- What will our attendees do differently in the 30 days after your keynote?
- How do you prepare for an audience in our industry?
- Can you share a full-length recording, not only a highlight reel?
- Who is a recent client with an audience like ours, and can we contact them?
- What is your fee for our format and location, and what does it include?
- What do you need from us before the event?
Chris Dyer answers the first question with specifics for every booking, because each keynote ends with commitments leaders make in the room. His team at 6 Degrees Speaker Management can send full-length recordings and client references on request.
Why I Talk About Change the Way I Do
I need to own something. For years I treated the endings at my company like paperwork. A former employee once told me her departure felt like “checking out of a hotel.” She had shared ten years of her life with me and my company, and I processed her exit like a transaction. An exit interview and a polite goodbye.
That sentence stuck with me longer than any revenue number from those years. Most organizations handle change the same way: a memo and a new org chart. People remember how the change felt, and leaders rarely design for that. When Chris Dyer speaks about change, that hotel checkout is the story underneath the framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is similar to Holly Ransom as a keynote speaker?
Speakers with similar audiences include Chris Dyer for leadership and change, Laura Gassner Otting for purpose and ambition, Erica Dhawan for collaboration, and Neil Redding for futures thinking. Choose based on the topic your audience needs most.
Who is a good alternative to Holly Ransom for a leadership conference?
Chris Dyer is a strong alternative for leadership conferences. MSN.com named him the #1 Leadership Speaker to Follow in 2026, Inc. Magazine named him the #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture, and his keynotes draw on 20 years of building five Inc. 5000 companies.
How much does it cost to book Holly Ransom?
Holly Ransom doesn’t publish a fee, so contact her representation for a quote, and budget for international travel from Australia. For comparison, Chris Dyer’s published 2026 fee is $15,000 for a US keynote of up to 60 minutes plus a $1,500 flat travel fee, or $10,000 for a virtual keynote.
Is there a US-based alternative to Holly Ransom?
Yes. Chris Dyer is based in Southern California and speaks across North America and internationally. A US-based speaker usually reduces travel cost and scheduling risk for North American events.
Can a Holly Ransom alternative also moderate a panel?
Some can. Ask each finalist directly how many panels or fireside chats they have moderated and request a video sample. If moderation is the main job, prioritize that experience over keynote credentials.
How far in advance should I book a keynote speaker?
Six to nine months is typical for in-demand speakers, and fall conference season fills first. Shorter windows can work, so ask about availability even if your event is only a few weeks out.
Check Chris Dyer’s Availability
Contact Shannyn Downey at 6 Degrees Speaker Management at shannyn@6degreespeakers.com or (888) 584-4177. Watch Chris Dyer’s speaking reel at youtu.be/GROnwhmv2Nc and see all keynotes at chrisdyer.com/speaking. For a free look at his ideas, download the Moments That Matter companion workbook at chrisdyer.com/moments. No email required.
