Hal Gregersen
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan | Digital Fellow, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy | Author, Questions Are the Answer & The Innovator's DNA | Five-Time Thinkers50 Top 50
David MacMillan
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Princeton Professor & Pioneer of Organocatalysis and Photoredox Catalysis | Ludwig Cancer Research Distinguished Scholar | RSC Honorary Fellow
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Sir David MacMillan is a Nobel Prize–winning chemist who shared the 2021 prize for asymmetric organocatalysis, an advance that helped make chemistry greener and more sustainable. A pioneer of photoredox catalysis, he now applies the tools of chemistry to cancer research as a Ludwig Distinguished Scholar at Princeton. On stage, he turns frontier science into clear lessons on breakthrough innovation, resilience, and global impact.
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David MacMillan biography
Sir David MacMillan is a Nobel Prize–winning chemist and one of the most influential scientific innovators of our era. Born in Bellshill, Scotland, to a working-class family, he rose from state-funded schools to the summit of global science. Speaker David MacMillan shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Benjamin List for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis, an advance that helped make chemistry greener and more sustainable. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, where he previously chaired the Department of Chemistry, and was knighted for services to chemistry and science.
His path ran from the University of Glasgow to doctoral study at the University of California, Irvine, postdoctoral research at Harvard University, and faculty appointments at UC Berkeley and Caltech before Princeton. There he founded and directs the Princeton Catalysis Initiative, which now backs some 500 research collaborations across a dozen departments with more than $100 million in committed funding, and he previously directed the Merck Center for Catalysis.
Turning Frontier Science Into Lessons on Innovation
Asymmetric organocatalysis uses small organic molecules to control reactions with remarkable precision, with profound implications for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and sustainable manufacturing. MacMillan’s pioneering work on photoredox and metallaphotoredox catalysis opened new pathways for discovery, and his light-based µMap labeling technology lets researchers map molecular interactions inside living cells. As a Ludwig Distinguished Scholar at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at Princeton, he applies his catalysis breakthroughs to cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
A Fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, he has also been named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, its highest distinction. He directed his Nobel winnings into the May and Billy MacMillan Foundation, created in his parents’ honor to widen university access for disadvantaged students in Scotland. He ranks among the most sought-after Nobel Prize speakers at Aurum Speakers Bureau, bringing rare credibility to every stage.
As a speaker, David MacMillan translates the real process of discovery into powerful lessons on creativity, perseverance, and long-term impact, showing audiences how bold ideas move from skepticism to world-changing results. Explore his Nobel Prize profile to see the work that reshaped a field.
David MacMillan Speaking Videos
David W.C. MacMillan: Nobel Prize Lecture in Chemistry 2021
Presidential Lecture Series | David W.C. MacMillan
David MacMillan Speaking Topics
Keynote speaker David MacMillan takes audiences inside the genuine path of discovery, showing how asymmetric organocatalysis grew from a contrarian hunch into a Nobel Prize–winning field. He reframes innovation as a disciplined craft rather than a flash of genius.
Audiences learn how to spot promising ideas early, shield them from premature dismissal, and create the conditions where unconventional thinking can mature into category-defining breakthroughs.
Drawing on decades at the research frontier, David MacMillan explores how failed experiments, rejection, and intellectual risk are not obstacles to progress but its essential fuel. The message resonates with leaders and teams working through uncertainty and long development cycles.
He offers practical ways to reframe failure as structured learning and to build the resilience and intellectual courage that sustain momentum in high-stakes environments.
Keynote speaker David MacMillan explains how modern catalysis enables cleaner, more efficient processes that cut waste and environmental impact, connecting fundamental science to sustainability at industrial scale.
He shows how sustainability-driven innovation succeeds only when long-term scientific investment aligns with commercial realities, regulation, and real-world adoption.
David MacMillan founded and directs the Princeton Catalysis Initiative, a cross-disciplinary model that now backs hundreds of research collaborations with more than $100 million in committed funding. He explains how it was designed and why it works.
Leaders gain a practical blueprint for breaking down silos, structuring incentives that make collaboration routine rather than exceptional, and building partnerships between research teams and industry that produce results.
This keynote examines how to build cultures that reward curiosity, rigor, and collaboration. David MacMillan shares leadership lessons from directing world-class research groups under constant pressure to deliver.
Attendees gain actionable insight into talent development, mentorship, and the leadership systems that sustain excellence even amid intense performance and funding pressure.
Explore related topics
FAQs on Booking David MacMillan
David MacMillan offers a rare blend of Nobel Prize–level authority and deeply human storytelling. He doesn't comment on innovation from the sidelines; he created a discovery that permanently changed how chemistry is done, and he turns that experience into clear lessons on creativity, resilience, and leadership that land with scientific and non-scientific audiences alike. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, its highest distinction, and his working-class-to-Nobel journey makes the message both credible and inspiring. Book David MacMillan through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring that authority to your next event.
David MacMillan shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Benjamin List for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis, a way of using small organic molecules to build other molecules with precise control. The tool made chemistry greener and cheaper and is now used worldwide to produce everything from medicines to advanced materials.
Beyond catalysis, MacMillan developed µMap, a light-based labeling technology that maps molecular interactions inside living cells, and his lab has since extended it to clinical tissue samples. As a Ludwig Distinguished Scholar at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at Princeton, he applies his chemistry to cancer biology and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and ALS. He also founded and directs the Princeton Catalysis Initiative, which backs some 500 research collaborations across a dozen departments.
Yes. His keynotes focus on ideas, decision-making, and the creative process rather than technical chemistry, translating complex science into accessible narratives. Event planners frequently book him for mixed and executive audiences seeking inspiration grounded in real achievement. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to tailor a talk to your audience.
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book David MacMillan as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about David MacMillan'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 David MacMillan or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
David MacMillan 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 David MacMillan 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 David MacMillan.
We only work with David MacMillan on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking David MacMillan and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having David MacMillan 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 David MacMillan for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Yes, David MacMillan is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book David MacMillan for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
