Jacqueline Novogratz
Founder and CEO, Acumen | Bestselling Author, The Blue Sweater and Manifesto for a Moral Revolution | Impact Investing and Moral Leadership
Dave Ulrich
Father of Modern HR | Thinkers50 Hall of Fame | Rensis Likert Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan Ross | Co-Founder, The RBL Group | Bestselling Author of 30+ Books
No one has shaped modern human resources more than Dave Ulrich. Widely called the father of HR and a Thinkers50 Hall of Fame inductee, he has spent four decades turning rigorous research into the frameworks that organizations use to build leadership, talent, and capability. Through more than 30 books and work with over half the Fortune 200, he has redefined HR as a driver of business value. Audiences gain clear, practical tools they can use right away.
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Dave Ulrich biography
HR speaker Dave Ulrich is widely regarded as the father of modern human resources and one of the most influential management thinkers of his generation. As a professor, consultant, and author of more than 30 books, he has reshaped how organizations think about talent, leadership, and the role of HR in creating real business value.
Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a co-founder and partner of The RBL Group, the consulting firm he helped build to turn his research into practice. Business Week ranked him the number one management guru, Fast Company named him one of the ten most creative people in business, and HR Magazine has repeatedly named him the most influential figure in the field. In 2017 he was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, its highest recognition for lifetime achievement in management thought.
From HR Practices to Human Capability
Ulrich’s central idea is that organizations are best understood as bundles of capabilities, such as talent, leadership, collaboration, and the ability to change. His classics, including Human Resource Champions, HR from the Outside In, and Reinventing the Organization, defined successive eras of the profession, and his current work on human capability connects talent, leadership, and organization design to measurable outcomes for customers and investors. He edited the journal Human Resource Management for a decade, has published more than 200 articles, and remains one of HR’s most widely followed voices, reaching hundreds of thousands of leaders through his writing each week.
As a speaker, Dave Ulrich has addressed audiences in more than 90 countries and run workshops for over half the Fortune 200. He has a rare gift for turning complex research into simple, actionable frameworks, giving senior audiences clear tools to build stronger organizations, develop better leaders, and make HR a genuine driver of results. Attendees leave with practical ideas they can put to work immediately.
Dave Ulrich Speaking Videos
Dave Ulrich Explains The Role Of The HR Business Partner In A Digital Age
Dave Ulrich - The Future of HR
Dave Ulrich Keynote Topics
Markets shift faster than traditional hierarchies can respond. Drawing on his research with companies such as Amazon, Google, and Alibaba, Dave Ulrich lays out how to design a "market-oriented ecosystem" that combines the agility of a startup with the scale of a global enterprise. He walks audiences through a practical framework covering strategy, capabilities, structure, culture, and leadership, giving leaders a clear path to organizations that adapt and grow in fast-moving conditions.
The race to recruit star individuals rarely delivers lasting advantage. Dave Ulrich makes the case that sustainable success comes from building organizational systems where talent, leadership, and capability reinforce one another, so the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Grounded in his global HR competency research, this keynote offers evidence-based strategies for strengthening the systems that turn good people into great results.
What separates HR professionals who drive real impact from those who simply administer? Dave Ulrich shares the competencies, mindsets, and practices that allow HR leaders to shape strategy, build organizational capability, and earn a seat at the decision-making table. Audiences leave with a clear picture of what high-value HR looks like and concrete ways to raise their own contribution to the business.
Talent, leadership, organization, and HR are most powerful when they work as one system. In this forward-looking keynote, Dave Ulrich introduces his human capability framework, showing how leaders can connect people decisions directly to the outcomes that matter to customers and investors. He offers practical guidance for measuring and improving the capabilities that determine whether an organization wins in its market.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Dave Ulrich
Why Dave Ulrich?
Booking Dave Ulrich gives your audience direct access to the person widely credited with shaping modern human resources. A Thinkers50 Hall of Fame inductee, co-founder of The RBL Group, and author of more than 30 books, he has advised over half the Fortune 200 and spoken in more than 90 countries. What sets him apart on stage is his ability to turn decades of rigorous research into clear, practical frameworks that leaders can act on right away. For events focused on HR, leadership, talent, organization design, and change, he delivers both unmatched credibility and immediately usable insight. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you bring Dave Ulrich to your next event.
Why is Dave Ulrich called the father of modern HR?
Dave Ulrich earned the title by fundamentally redefining the purpose of human resources, shifting it from an administrative support function to a strategic driver of business value. Through influential books such as Human Resource Champions and HR from the Outside In, he advanced the idea that HR should be measured by the value it creates for customers, investors, and employees. His frameworks for HR competencies and HR transformation are now taught and applied in organizations worldwide.
What is The RBL Group?
The RBL Group is a consulting firm co-founded by Dave Ulrich that helps organizations and leaders deliver greater value through stronger leadership, talent, and organizational capability. Building on Ulrich's research, RBL works with companies around the world on strategic HR, leadership development, and organization design. Ulrich serves as a partner and continues to shape the firm's research and thought leadership.
What topics does Dave Ulrich cover in his keynotes?
Dave Ulrich speaks on the future of HR, human capability, leadership development, talent strategy, organization design, and change. Drawing on his research and decades advising global companies, he tailors keynotes for HR and leadership audiences, executive teams, and corporate conferences, always translating big ideas into practical action. To check his availability and book him, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Dave Ulrich as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Dave Ulrich as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Dave Ulrich'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 Dave Ulrich or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Dave Ulrich speaking fee?
Dave Ulrich 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 Dave Ulrich 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 Dave Ulrich.
How can I contact Dave Ulrich?
We only work with Dave Ulrich on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Dave Ulrich and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Dave Ulrich 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 Dave Ulrich for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Dave Ulrich for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Dave Ulrich is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Dave Ulrich for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
