Larry Miller
Chairman, Jordan Brand Advisory Board, Nike; Author of Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom
Ellen MacArthur
Dame Commander of the British Empire | World Record Solo Circumnavigator | Founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation | Circular Economy Pioneer
Few speakers can claim to have both broken a world record and reshaped a global economic conversation. Dame Ellen MacArthur sailed solo around the world faster than any person in history, then founded the institution that made the circular economy a boardroom imperative. Her Foundation works with over 1,000 organizations in 100+ countries. She brings senior audiences the strategic clarity to act — not just on sustainability, but on the economic redesign that will define competitive advantage for decades.
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Ellen MacArthur biography
Dame Ellen MacArthur is one of the most compelling figures to emerge from the world of elite sport and reinvent herself as a force for systemic change. A record-breaking offshore sailor who became the world’s fastest solo circumnavigator, she walked away from professional racing at the height of her fame — not out of exhaustion, but out of conviction. What she had learned at sea about finite resources, careful stewardship, and the consequences of running out had reframed everything she thought she knew about the economy on land.
Sustainability speaker Ellen MacArthur first seized global attention in 2001 when she finished second in the Vendée Globe solo around-the-world race at just 24 years old — the youngest competitor ever to complete it and the holder of the women’s monohull circumnavigation record for two decades. Four years later, she shattered the outright world record for the fastest solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, covering 44,000 kilometers in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds. The feat earned her a DBE from Queen Elizabeth II, making her the youngest person in modern history to receive that honor, and the French Legion of Honour from President Nicolas Sarkozy.
But it is what she built after retiring from competition that defines her legacy. In 2010, she founded the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, now the world’s foremost authority on the circular economy — an economic model designed to eliminate waste, keep products and materials in use at their highest value, and regenerate natural systems. The Foundation works with businesses, governments, cities, and educational institutions across more than 100 countries, mobilizing systemic change in sectors ranging from fashion and plastics to food, finance, and the built environment. Its research, including macro-economic studies developed with McKinsey, has been presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos and shaped policy across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
From Ocean Racing to Economic Redesign
Under Ellen’s leadership, the Foundation has become a genuine policy force. It co-leads the Global Commitment — a coalition of over 1,000 organizations representing 20% of global plastic packaging production — and drives initiatives such as the Fashion ReModel, which unites leading brands in decoupling revenue from the production of new garments. The Foundation actively engages with the European Commission, national governments, and city coalitions on legislation that embeds circular principles into the economic mainstream. Ellen herself serves as Vice-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Circular Economy.
As a speaker, Ellen MacArthur brings an authority that very few can match: the credibility of someone who has both achieved the extraordinary in physical terms and built a global institution to back up her ideas. Senior audiences — from Fortune 500 boardrooms to heads of government — respond to her ability to make the circular economy feel urgent, inevitable, and entirely achievable. Her talks are not abstract calls to sustainability; they are strategic briefings on economic opportunity, competitive advantage, and the kind of redesign thinking that will define which organizations thrive in the decades ahead.
Ellen MacArthur Speaking Videos
Ellen MacArthur - Momentum building towards the circular economy,
Dame Ellen MacArthur - The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world
Ellen MacArthur Keynote Topics
The transition away from a linear take-make-waste economy is not a concession to environmental pressure — it is the most significant economic opportunity of the coming decades. Dame Ellen MacArthur draws on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's research, developed with McKinsey and presented at Davos, to make the strategic and financial case for circular design. This keynote equips senior leaders with a clear framework for understanding where circular principles unlock competitive advantage, reduce supply chain risk, and generate durable growth — and what it actually takes to redesign products, systems, and business models at scale.
Ellen MacArthur's insight into the circular economy did not come from a boardroom — it came from 71 days alone at sea, where the consequences of running out of anything are absolute. In this keynote, she draws a direct line between the discipline of offshore sailing and the systemic redesign she believes modern economies must undergo. Topics include how extreme environments sharpen strategic clarity, how to lead through genuine uncertainty, and why the organizations most likely to thrive are those willing to redesign their foundational assumptions — not just optimize what already exists.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's work spans some of the world's most resource-intensive sectors. In this keynote, Ellen examines how industries at the heart of the global economy — fashion, food systems, construction — are beginning to decouple growth from material consumption, and what that transition requires from business leaders, policymakers, and investors. Drawing on initiatives including the Fashion ReModel, the Global Commitment on plastics, and the Foundation's built environment research, this session translates sector-specific insights into principles applicable across any organization navigating the shift to a regenerative model.
The prevailing model of economic growth assumes that prosperity requires ever-increasing consumption of virgin materials. Dame Ellen MacArthur challenges that assumption directly, presenting the macroeconomic evidence that a circular model generates more jobs, more innovation, and greater systemic resilience than the linear alternative. This keynote is designed for policymakers, institutional investors, and C-suite leaders who need more than a sustainability narrative — they need an economic argument. Ellen delivers it with the authority of someone who has spent more than a decade building the global infrastructure to test it in practice.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Ellen MacArthur
Why Ellen MacArthur?
Booking Dame Ellen MacArthur for your event means bringing one of the most uniquely credible voices on sustainability, systems thinking, and economic transformation to your stage. Her combination of world-class athletic achievement and decade-long institutional impact is unparalleled on the speaking circuit — she is not a commentator on change, she is an architect of it. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has influenced policy at the European Commission, the World Economic Forum, and governments across six continents. For organizations serious about the circular economy, climate strategy, or long-term competitive positioning, she delivers not inspiration alone but a rigorous, evidence-based framework for action. At Aurum Speakers Bureau, we handle all availability inquiries and booking logistics — contact us to bring Dame Ellen MacArthur to your next event.
What is the circular economy and why does Ellen MacArthur champion it?
The circular economy is an economic model built on three principles: eliminating waste and pollution by design, keeping products and materials circulating at their highest value, and regenerating natural systems. Ellen MacArthur arrived at this framework through her sailing career, where the discipline of managing finite resources on long solo voyages made viscerally clear what an economy dependent on extraction and disposal cannot sustain. After retiring from professional racing, she spent years engaging with scientists, economists, and business leaders to understand the challenge at a systemic level — and concluded that incremental efficiency improvements were insufficient. The circular economy, she argues, is not a constraint on growth but a superior economic model: one that creates jobs, reduces commodity risk, and positions organizations for long-term resilience.
What records did Ellen MacArthur break in sailing?
Ellen MacArthur holds several landmark records in offshore sailing. In 2005, she set the outright world record for the fastest solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe — 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds — aboard her 75-foot trimaran B&Q, covering more than 44,000 kilometers through some of the world's most treacherous seas. She also holds the women's record for the fastest solo monohull east-to-west transatlantic crossing (Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island), set in 2000. At the 2000–2001 Vendée Globe, she finished second overall as the youngest competitor in the race's history, and her time of 94 days, 4 hours and 25 minutes stood as the women's monohull solo circumnavigation record for 20 years.
What topics does sustainability speaker Ellen MacArthur cover?
Ellen MacArthur's keynotes center on the circular economy, sustainable business strategy, systems redesign, and the role of industry and policy in accelerating the transition away from a linear take-make-waste model. She speaks to how organizations across fashion, food, plastics, finance, and the built environment can redesign their operations for long-term resilience and competitive advantage. Her talks are tailored for senior executive audiences and are consistently described as both intellectually rigorous and practically grounded. She also draws on themes of resilience, extreme goal-setting, and the mindset required to tackle problems of unprecedented scale. To explore availability and speaking fees, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Ellen MacArthur as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Ellen MacArthur as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Ellen MacArthur'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 Ellen MacArthur or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Ellen MacArthur speaking fee?
Ellen MacArthur 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 Ellen MacArthur 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 Ellen MacArthur.
How can I contact Ellen MacArthur?
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Can I book Ellen MacArthur for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Ellen MacArthur is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Ellen MacArthur for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
