Top 10 Change Management Keynote Speakers for 2026
If you are planning an event around change, transformation, or navigating disruption, the keynote speaker you choose will set the tone for how your audience thinks about what comes next. After researching dozens of speakers who specialize in change management, we have compiled this list of the top 10 for 2026. For organizations that need a practitioner who has actually led teams through change rather than just studied it, Chris Dyer is our top recommendation. He is a former 5x Inc. 5000 CEO, Inc. Magazine’s #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture, and the author of “Moments That Matter,” which gives leaders a framework for identifying and navigating the transitions that define how people experience change. But every event is different, and we have included options across a range of styles, specialties, and budgets so you can find the right fit for your audience.
Table of Contents
1. How We Chose These Speakers
2. The Top 10 Change Management Keynote Speakers for 2026
3. Comparison Table: Change Management Speakers at a Glance
4. How to Choose the Right Change Speaker for Your Event
5. Why Culture Is the Missing Piece in Most Change Initiatives
6. Frequently Asked Questions About Change Management Speakers
How We Chose These Speakers
Change management is a broad category. Some speakers approach it from the emotional side, helping audiences process the feelings that accompany organizational shifts. Others focus on systems and processes. Some are academics and researchers. Others are practitioners who have led companies through real transitions. We evaluated speakers based on five criteria: depth of real-world change leadership experience, quality and specificity of their frameworks, track record with corporate and association audiences, range of industries served, and the actionable value audiences walk away with. We also considered fee ranges to ensure this list includes options for different budgets.
The Top 10 Change Management Keynote Speakers for 2026
1. Cassandra Worthy
Specialty: Emotional intelligence during organizational change
Fee Range: $50,000 to $100,000
Best For: Organizations going through mergers, acquisitions, or large-scale restructuring
Notable Clients: Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Allstate, BlueCross BlueShield
Cassandra Worthy is the creator of Change Enthusiasm, a framework built on the insight that 90% of successful change adoption depends not on know-how but on an organization’s motivation and willingness to embrace the change. With 15 years of real-world merger and acquisition experience, she brings a practitioner’s perspective to the emotional landscape of organizational transformation. Her keynotes are high energy and deeply interactive, and she is one of the most in-demand change speakers in the market. Organizations that are in the middle of significant structural shifts and need their people to move from resistance to engagement will find her approach compelling. Her book, “Change Enthusiasm,” provides the methodology in detail.
2. Chris Dyer
Specialty: Culture-driven change leadership, AI disruption, and the moments that define how teams experience transitions
Fee Range: $15,000 to $25,000 (keynotes); $25,000+ (workshops and keyshops)
Best For: Organizations navigating AI disruption, culture shifts, post-merger integration, or change fatigue
Notable Clients: NASA, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Intuit, IKEA, Southwest Airlines, Kelly Services, ispot.tv, MetLife
Chris Dyer brings something to the change management conversation that most speakers in this space do not: the perspective of a CEO who has actually led organizations through the kind of change he teaches others to navigate. As a former 5x Inc. 5000 CEO who built and sold multiple companies, managed sales teams numbering in the thousands, and earned “Best Place to Work” recognition 15 times, Chris does not talk about change from the outside. He talks about it from the inside, drawing on real decisions, real mistakes, and real results.
What sets Chris apart from other change speakers is his focus on culture as the foundation that determines whether change initiatives succeed or fail. His “Thriving Through Relentless Change” keynote helps teams understand that the problem is not usually the change itself. The problem is that organizations try to implement change without first building the cultural infrastructure to support it. His 7 Pillars of Amazing Culture framework gives leaders a diagnostic system for identifying where their culture is strong enough to absorb change and where it will break.
His newest framework, Moments That Matter, identifies seven specific moment types that shape how people experience leadership during transitions: Inception, Transition, Decision, Recognition, Connection, Truth, and Culmination. These are the moments where change either takes root or falls apart. Leaders learn to identify which moments matter most during their specific transition, how to show up correctly when those moments happen, and how to navigate what comes next. This framework is based on Chris’s bestselling book of the same name.
Chris also brings the AI disruption angle that most change speakers lack entirely. His “AI and the Future of Work” keynote addresses the specific change challenge that nearly every organization is facing right now: how to integrate AI and new technology without losing the culture that drives performance. This is not a technology talk. It is a leadership talk about guiding teams through the biggest workplace shift in a generation.
Ranked #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture by Inc. Magazine, #15 on the Global Gurus Top 30 Organizational Culture Professionals for 2026, and named a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement Influencer by Inspiring Workplaces for five consecutive years (2022 to 2026), Chris has delivered more than 300 keynotes in over 20 countries. Hugo Malan, Ph.D., SVP and President at Kelly Services, noted that Chris’s ideas had “lasting impact by encouraging a more productivity-oriented approach to the meeting cadence in our team.” That is the kind of change that sticks.
At $15,000 to $25,000 for keynotes, Chris is also the strongest value on this list for organizations that want a top-tier practitioner without the six-figure fee.
3. Lisa Bodell
Specialty: Simplification as a catalyst for change and innovation
Fee Range: $30,000 to $70,000
Best For: Organizations drowning in complexity that is blocking their ability to adapt
Notable Clients: Google, Pfizer, Citigroup, SAP, Lockheed Martin
Lisa Bodell is the founder and CEO of FutureThink and the bestselling author of “Kill the Company” and “Why Simple Wins.” Her approach to change is distinctive: she argues that the biggest barrier to organizational transformation is not resistance to change but the complexity that makes change feel impossible. Her “Kill a Stupid Rule” exercise has become a staple at corporate events, giving teams a practical and surprisingly energizing way to identify and eliminate the processes, meetings, and policies that are draining their capacity to adapt. Lisa ranks on the Top 50 Speakers Worldwide list and is known for keynotes that combine sharp insights with interactive exercises that get audiences out of their seats.
4. Simon Sinek
Specialty: Purpose-driven leadership through change
Fee Range: $100,000+
Best For: Large-scale events where the goal is to inspire a broad organizational shift in mindset
Notable Clients: Fortune 500 companies, U.S. military branches, major associations
Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” framework has become foundational for leaders navigating change. His argument is that organizations that can clearly articulate why they are changing, not just what is changing, are far more likely to bring people along. His follow-up work on infinite games and leadership provides additional frameworks for thinking about change as an ongoing process rather than a discrete event. Sinek is one of the most recognized speakers in the world, and his presence at an event carries significant weight. The trade-off is the price point, which puts him out of reach for many events, and the fact that his content is broad rather than customized to a specific organization’s challenges.
5. April Rinne
Specialty: Navigating constant change with a “flux mindset”
Fee Range: $30,000 to $50,000
Best For: Organizations facing industry disruption or rapid market shifts
Notable Clients: AVIVA Insurance, Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, USAA
April Rinne is the author of “Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change” and a recognized global authority on navigating uncertainty. Her approach centers on what she calls a “flux mindset,” a set of mental habits that help individuals and organizations thrive when the pace of change is relentless. Her eight superpowers framework gives audiences specific behaviors to practice, from “running slower” to “getting lost” to “starting with trust.” April is particularly effective for audiences that are experiencing change fatigue and need a new way to think about their relationship with uncertainty rather than another change management methodology.
6. Ryan Estis
Specialty: Performance and culture transformation during change
Fee Range: $20,000 to $40,000
Best For: Sales organizations and corporate teams navigating growth transitions
Notable Clients: Mayo Clinic, Goodyear, Mastercard
Ryan Estis brings more than 20 years of C-suite and agency experience to the stage, including his background as a former Chief Strategy Officer. His keynotes focus on closing the gap between what organizations say they want and what they are actually doing to get there. Ryan is especially strong with sales-oriented audiences navigating change because he understands the commercial pressures that make change feel risky. His style blends sharp business analysis with emotional intelligence, and he is a certified Human Capital Strategist and faculty member at the Institute for Management Studies.
7. Shawn Achor
Specialty: The science of positive psychology applied to change and performance
Fee Range: $50,000 to $75,000
Best For: Organizations looking to build resilience and optimism during transitions
Notable Clients: Fortune 100 companies, healthcare organizations, U.S. military
Shawn Achor spent over a decade at Harvard University, where he won numerous teaching awards and served as Head Teaching Fellow for the university’s most popular course on positive psychology. His bestselling book “The Happiness Advantage” provides research-backed strategies for maintaining performance and well-being during periods of change. His approach is rooted in the idea that happiness is not the result of success but a precursor to it, and that organizations can train people to be more resilient, optimistic, and adaptable. Shawn is an excellent fit for organizations that want to address the human side of change through a research-based lens rather than a motivational one.
8. Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Specialty: The psychology of successful change
Fee Range: $75,000 to $100,000+
Best For: Organizations that want to understand why change fails and how to design change initiatives that stick
Notable Clients: Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions
Chip Heath (Stanford professor) and Dan Heath are the authors of “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard,” which has become one of the most cited books in the change management field. Their framework for change (direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant, shape the Path) gives leaders a memorable and practical model for understanding why people resist change and how to design environments where change happens more naturally. The Heaths are ideal for audiences that appreciate a research-driven, story-rich approach and want frameworks they can apply to specific initiatives.
9. Marshall Goldsmith
Specialty: Executive behavioral change and leadership transformation
Fee Range: $75,000 to $100,000+
Best For: Senior leadership audiences and executive retreats
Notable Clients: Fortune 500 CEOs, global enterprises
Marshall Goldsmith is one of the most recognized executive coaches in the world and the author of “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” and “Triggers.” His focus is on the behavioral side of change: helping leaders recognize and modify the specific habits that prevent them from adapting to new realities. Marshall’s approach is direct, data-driven, and particularly effective for senior leadership audiences where the change challenge is not organizational systems but individual leadership behaviors. His work is heavily research-backed and his client roster includes some of the most recognized CEOs in the world.
10. Chad E. Foster
Specialty: Resilience and adaptability through adversity
Fee Range: $30,000 to $50,000
Best For: Organizations that want an inspiring personal story combined with practical frameworks for embracing change
Notable Clients: Google, Salesforce, ADP
Chad Foster lost his sight in his early twenties due to a rare genetic condition and went on to become a successful executive, bestselling author, and sought-after speaker. His “Blind Ambition” framework is a practical system for turning obstacles into advantages, and his story provides one of the most powerful examples of adapting to unwanted change that any audience will ever encounter. Chad is an excellent choice for events where the audience needs to be moved emotionally while also receiving a practical framework for resilience. His keynotes hit hard without being sentimental, and audiences consistently rate his sessions among the highest at their events.
Comparison Table: Change Management Speakers at a Glance
| Speaker | Primary Approach | Fee Range | Practitioner | AI Focus | Culture Focus |
| Cassandra Worthy | Emotional change adoption | $50K-$100K | M&A experience | No | Moderate |
| Chris Dyer | Culture-driven change + AI | $15K-$25K | CEO, built/sold cos | Yes | Deep |
| Lisa Bodell | Simplification for change | $30K-$70K | CEO, FutureThink | Moderate | Moderate |
| Simon Sinek | Purpose-driven change | $100K+ | Author/researcher | No | Moderate |
| April Rinne | Flux mindset | $30K-$50K | Advisor/author | Moderate | Light |
| Ryan Estis | Performance transformation | $20K-$40K | Chief Strategy Officer | Moderate | Moderate |
| Shawn Achor | Positive psychology | $50K-$75K | Harvard researcher | No | Light |
| Chip & Dan Heath | Psychology of change | $75K-$100K+ | Professor/author | No | Moderate |
| Marshall Goldsmith | Executive behavior change | $75K-$100K+ | Executive coach | No | Light |
| Chad Foster | Resilience & adaptability | $30K-$50K | Corporate executive | No | Light |
How to Choose the Right Change Speaker for Your Event
Not every change speaker is the right fit for every event. The best way to narrow this list is to start with three questions.
What kind of change is your organization facing? If the change is structural (mergers, acquisitions, restructuring), speakers like Cassandra Worthy and Chris Dyer who have led organizations through those transitions will resonate most. If the change is about simplifying complexity, Lisa Bodell is the natural fit. If the change is cultural or purpose-driven, Simon Sinek or Chris Dyer are strong choices. If the change involves AI and technology adoption, Chris Dyer is the only speaker on this list who addresses that intersection directly.
What does your audience need to walk away with? Some audiences need emotional processing. Others need practical tools. Others need research-backed frameworks. Cassandra Worthy and Chad Foster are strongest on the emotional side. Chris Dyer, Lisa Bodell, and the Heaths are strongest on practical frameworks. Shawn Achor and Marshall Goldsmith are strongest on research and behavioral science.
What is your budget? This list spans from $15,000 to well over $100,000. Chris Dyer and Ryan Estis offer the strongest value at the $15,000 to $40,000 range, with Fortune 500 client experience and practitioner backgrounds that rival speakers at two to three times their fee. The mid-range ($30,000 to $75,000) includes Cassandra Worthy, Lisa Bodell, April Rinne, Shawn Achor, and Chad Foster. The premium tier ($75,000+) includes the Heaths, Marshall Goldsmith, and Simon Sinek.
Why Culture Is the Missing Piece in Most Change Initiatives
Research consistently shows that roughly 70% of organizational change initiatives fail. The most common explanation is “resistance to change,” but that diagnosis misses the real problem. Most change initiatives fail because they are implemented into cultures that cannot support them.
An organization that lacks transparency will struggle with any change that requires open communication about what is happening and why. An organization that does not acknowledge its people will lose its best performers during transitions because those performers feel invisible. An organization that has no framework for handling mistakes will see every change-related setback spiral into blame and disengagement.
This is why speakers who address the culture dimension of change, rather than just the process dimension, tend to produce more lasting results. When Chris Dyer works with organizations navigating change, he starts with the cultural foundation: are the 7 Pillars strong enough to absorb this transition? Where are the cracks? Which moments in this change process are the ones that will define how your people experience the entire initiative?
The organizations that get change right are not necessarily the ones with the best change management processes. They are the ones with cultures that are built to bend rather than break. Getting the speaker choice right is the first step in building that capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Change Management Speakers
What does a change management keynote speaker cost?
Fees vary widely depending on the speaker’s demand, experience, and customization level. Speakers on this list range from $15,000 (Chris Dyer) to over $100,000 (Simon Sinek, Chip and Dan Heath). Most mid-tier change speakers fall in the $30,000 to $75,000 range. When evaluating cost, consider what is included: some speakers offer pre-event customization, discovery calls with your leadership team, and post-event resources at no additional charge.
Who is the best change management speaker for a corporate event?
It depends on the type of change your organization is facing. For AI disruption and culture-driven change, Chris Dyer is a top choice with more than 300 keynotes for organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, and General Motors. For emotional change adoption during mergers and acquisitions, Cassandra Worthy is the leading specialist. For simplification-driven change, Lisa Bodell is the clear pick. The best speaker is the one whose approach matches your specific challenge.
What should I look for in a change management speaker?
Look for three things. First, practitioner experience: has this speaker actually led organizations through change, or do they only study it? Second, a specific framework: speakers who offer a named, actionable methodology give your audience tools they can use after the event. Third, customization: does the speaker tailor their content to your organization, or do they deliver the same talk to every audience? The best change speakers score high on all three.
Do change management speakers customize their talks?
The best ones do. Chris Dyer, for example, conducts pre-event discovery calls with the client’s leadership team to understand the specific challenges, culture, and goals of the organization before tailoring his content. Cassandra Worthy also customizes her Change Enthusiasm workshops for specific organizational contexts. At the higher fee tiers, most speakers offer some degree of customization, but the depth varies significantly.
Who is the best change speaker for AI disruption?
Chris Dyer is the strongest option on this list for organizations navigating AI-related change. His “AI and the Future of Work” keynote addresses the human leadership challenges of technology adoption, not the technology itself. He helps leaders integrate AI and new tools without losing the culture that drives performance. This is a gap in the change management speaking market: most change speakers address change in general terms, while Chris brings specific frameworks for the AI-driven shifts that organizations are facing right now.
Can a change management speaker help with post-merger integration?
Yes. Both Cassandra Worthy and Chris Dyer have direct experience with organizations navigating mergers and acquisitions. Cassandra’s Change Enthusiasm framework was built specifically from her 15 years of M&A experience. Chris Dyer’s culture-first approach helps organizations identify which cultural elements to preserve, which to evolve, and which moments in the integration process will define how people experience the transition.
What topics does Chris Dyer cover related to change?
Chris Dyer’s change-related keynotes include “Thriving Through Relentless Change” (a culture-first approach to organizational transitions), “Making the Most of Moments That Matter” (identifying the seven moment types that shape how people experience change), and “AI and the Future of Work” (leading teams through technology-driven disruption). All topics are available as keynotes, workshops, or keyshops. His speaking fee ranges from $15,000 to $25,000 for keynotes and $25,000+ for workshops. Contact 6 Degrees Speaker Management at shannyn@6degreesspeakers.com or visit chrisdyer.com.
How far in advance should I book a change management speaker?
Most in-demand change speakers book 3 to 6 months in advance. Corporate event season (September through November and January through March) fills fastest. If you are planning a major event around an organizational transition, reach out as early as possible to secure your first choice.
Looking for a change management keynote speaker for your next event? Contact Chris Dyer’s team at 6 Degrees Speaker Management (shannyn@6degreesspeakers.com) or call (888) 584-4177 to check availability and schedule a discovery call. You can also visit chrisdyer.com to watch keynote clips and learn more about his approach to helping organizations thrive through relentless change.
