Osric Chau
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Catherine Mayer
Bestselling Author & Former TIME Editor-at-Large | Co-Founder of the Women's Equality Party | Leading Voice on Gender Equality as Institutional & Economic Strategy
Catherine Mayer is a bestselling author, veteran journalist, and one of Britain's most influential voices on gender equality. A former Editor-at-Large and Europe Editor of TIME who covered power at the highest level, she co-founded the Women's Equality Party with Sandi Toksvig. She helps leaders understand why their institutions keep producing the same inequalities, and what it takes to redesign them, treating equality as strategy, not slogan.
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Catherine Mayer biography
Catherine Mayer is a bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and one of the most influential voices anywhere on gender equality and diversity and inclusion. She brings a rare double perspective: she spent decades observing power at the highest levels as a senior editor at TIME magazine, then set out to change it, co-founding a national political party devoted to equality. The result is a speaker who understands, better than almost anyone, why organizations keep producing the same inequalities, and what it actually takes to redesign them.
Mayer’s journalism career spanned more than three decades, at The Economist, the German news weekly FOCUS, and, for over a decade, TIME magazine, where she served as London Bureau Chief, Europe Editor, and finally Editor-at-Large. She covered politics and power at first hand, from prime ministers to the royal family, and won a Foreign Press Association Story of the Year award. In 2015, with the broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, she co-founded the Women’s Equality Party, serving as its president for nearly a decade and standing as a candidate in the 2019 European elections.
Equality as Strategy, Not Slogan
Mayer is the author of several acclaimed books, including the Sunday Times bestselling biography Charles: The Heart of a King, which made headlines around the world; Amortality, on how we age; Attack of the Fifty Foot Women: How Gender Equality Can Save the World!; and, most recently, the 2025 novel TIME/LIFE. She has been recognized among the most influential people in global gender-equality policy, co-founded the Primadonna Festival, and sits on the founding committee of the Women of the World Festival. Her distinctive argument is that equality is not merely a moral cause but a strategic and economic one.
As a speaker, Catherine Mayer is incisive, witty, and refreshingly rigorous, drawing on her rare vantage point as both a chronicler and a reformer of power. She speaks on gender equality and why organizations keep failing at it, the economic and institutional case for real inclusion, leadership and power, and the forces shaping business and society. She helps senior leaders move past good intentions to redesign the systems that produce inequality, leaving audiences with a sharper, more honest understanding of what genuine change requires.
Catherine Mayer Speaking Videos
We should all be hags | Catherine Mayer | TEDxCoventGardenWomen
Attack of the Fifty Foot Women | Catherine Mayer | Talks at Google
Catherine Mayer Keynote Topics
Drawing on her acclaimed book, Catherine Mayer makes the sweeping, evidence-based case that gender equality is not just a matter of fairness but one of the most powerful levers we have for building better economies and societies. She examines why progress has stalled, what the persistent gaps are really costing us, and the practical steps organizations and leaders can take to accelerate change. Provocative, data-rich, and genuinely optimistic, it reframes equality as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Too many organizations treat equality as a compliance exercise or a communications message. Catherine Mayer argues it should be treated as strategy. In this keynote she lays out the economic and institutional case for genuine inclusion, why diverse, equal organizations perform better, and why superficial efforts so often fail. She gives leaders a clear-eyed framework for turning good intentions into structural change that actually moves the needle. Essential insight for boards and executives serious about results.
Having observed power as a senior journalist and then tried to rebuild it as the co-founder of a political party, Catherine Mayer has a rare understanding of how institutions really work, and why they keep generating the same inequalities despite the best intentions. In this keynote she reveals the hidden design flaws in how organizations are built and run, and shows leaders how to redesign systems, incentives, and cultures so that fairer outcomes become the default. A systems-level, deeply practical talk.
Few people have observed the powerful as closely as Catherine Mayer, who as a TIME editor interviewed prime ministers, royals, and business leaders, and wrote the bestselling biography of King Charles III. In this fascinating keynote she shares what she has learned about the nature of power and leadership: how it is won, wielded, and lost, what separates effective leaders from the rest, and what it all means for organizations navigating a turbulent world. A sharp, insightful talk from a consummate observer of power.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Catherine Mayer
Why Catherine Mayer?
Booking Catherine Mayer brings audiences a rare combination: a bestselling author and top-tier journalist who spent decades observing power at the highest levels, and an activist who then set out to rebuild it. As a former Editor-at-Large of TIME and co-founder of the Women's Equality Party, she offers a uniquely credible, rigorous, and witty perspective on gender equality, treating it not as a slogan but as an economic and institutional strategy. She helps senior leaders understand why their organizations keep producing the same inequalities, and what it genuinely takes to change them. She is ideal for events on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, leadership, and business and society. To bring Catherine Mayer to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Catherine Mayer?
Catherine Mayer is an American-born British author, journalist, activist, and speaker. Over a career spanning more than three decades, she worked at The Economist and the German news weekly FOCUS before joining TIME magazine in 2004, where she served as London Bureau Chief, Europe Editor, and Editor-at-Large. In 2015, with the broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, she co-founded the UK's Women's Equality Party and served as its president until 2024. She is the author of several books, including the Sunday Times bestselling biography Charles: The Heart of a King, Amortality, Attack of the Fifty Foot Women, the memoir Good Grief, and the 2025 novel TIME/LIFE. She also co-founded the Primadonna Festival and has been recognized among the most influential figures in global gender-equality policy.
What is Catherine Mayer's approach to gender equality?
Catherine Mayer's distinctive contribution is to reframe gender equality from a moral or "nice to have" issue into a strategic, economic, and institutional one. Rather than focusing on individual behavior or awareness alone, she looks at how organizations, and society, are actually designed, and why those structures keep generating the same inequalities even when people mean well. This perspective is grounded in an unusual dual experience: she spent decades observing the powerful as a senior TIME journalist, then co-founded the Women's Equality Party in an attempt to change the system from within politics. In her book Attack of the Fifty Foot Women, she argues that closing gender gaps would make economies and societies dramatically better off. In her keynotes, she helps leaders see the hidden design flaws in their institutions and understand what it takes to redesign systems, incentives, and cultures so that fairer, more effective outcomes become the norm.
What topics does speaker Catherine Mayer cover?
Catherine Mayer speaks on gender equality and why organizations keep failing at it, the economic and institutional case for inclusion, how to redesign the systems that produce inequality, and power and leadership. Her keynotes suit events on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, leadership, women's empowerment, and business and society, for corporate, institutional, and general audiences. To book Catherine Mayer as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Catherine Mayer as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Catherine Mayer as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Catherine Mayer's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Catherine Mayer or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Catherine Mayer speaking fee?
Catherine Mayer speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Catherine Mayer to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Catherine Mayer.
How can I contact Catherine Mayer?
We only work with Catherine Mayer on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Catherine Mayer and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Catherine Mayer speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Catherine Mayer for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Catherine Mayer for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Catherine Mayer is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Catherine Mayer for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
