Svante Pääbo
2022 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Founder of Paleogenetics | Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Fred Kofman
Conscious Business Pioneer | Former VP, Google & LinkedIn | Founder, Conscious Business Center International | Top 5 Global Business Coach | Author, Conscious Business & The Meaning Revolution
Named one of the world's Top 5 Business Coaches by The Information in 2024, Fred Kofman has shaped the leadership cultures of Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and OpenAI from the inside. As the originator of the "conscious business" framework and a former MIT professor, he shows leaders how awareness, integrity, and purpose don't just make organizations better — they make them outperform.
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Fred Kofman biography
Fred Kofman is one of the most influential thinkers in the world on leadership, organizational culture, and what it means to run a business with integrity. He is the founder and president of the Conscious Business Center International, a global coaching and leadership development organization with over 33,000 members across 30 countries, and the originator of the “conscious business” framework — a philosophy that redefines organizational success around purpose, responsibility, and human flourishing rather than profit alone.
Leadership speaker Fred Kofman’s academic foundation is exceptional. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and spent six years as a professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, where he was named Professor of the Year in 1992 and worked alongside Peter Senge — author of The Fifth Discipline — as a senior researcher at the Center for Organizational Learning. That rare combination of rigorous economics training and deep organizational psychology shaped a distinctly Kofman approach: one that takes the hard questions of business performance and grounds them in the equally hard questions of human consciousness, values, and meaning.
In 1996, he founded Axialent, a global consulting firm through which he designed and delivered leadership programs to more than 15,000 executives across five continents. In 2013, he joined LinkedIn as Vice President of Executive Development, partnering with CEO Jeff Weiner to embed conscious leadership principles across the organization and launching the Conscious Business Academy for professionals worldwide. In 2018, he became Vice President of Leadership and Culture at Google, advising Sundar Pichai’s office on building a culture capable of sustaining innovation at global scale. That same year, he co-founded the Center for Conscious Leadership at Tecnológico de Monterrey, extending his reach into executive education across Latin America.
Coaching the World’s Most Influential Leaders
Kofman is one of the most sought-after executive coaches for senior leaders at the top of the global economy. He has worked directly with Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (CEO, Google), Reid Hoffman (co-founder, LinkedIn), Sheryl Sandberg (former COO, Facebook), Sam Altman (CEO, OpenAI), and Astro Teller (CEO, X at Alphabet), among many others. In 2024, The Information ranked him among the world’s Top 5 Business Coaches — a recognition that reflects decades of transformational work at the highest levels of corporate leadership.
His three major books — Metamanagement (2001), Conscious Business (2008), and The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership (2018) — form a trilogy that has become essential reading in executive development. Conscious Business, translated into 14 languages, was praised by Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In as a book that “will transform the way you live and work.” As a speaker, Fred Kofman brings a rare depth of both intellectual rigor and lived executive experience to any stage. He challenges leaders to move beyond transactional management into a model of leadership grounded in awareness, accountability, and the conviction that meaning is the most powerful driver of performance that exists.
Fred Kofman Speaking Videos
Fred Kofman - How to Make The Unconscious Conscious So Your Subconscious Doesn't Run Your Business
LinkedIn Speaker Series: Fred Kofman
Fred Kofman Keynote Topics
In this signature keynote, Fred Kofman presents the conscious business framework — a model for organizational life built on purpose, integrity, and genuine accountability. Drawing from his decades of work with Fortune 500 companies and his landmark book Conscious Business, he demonstrates how the qualities that make people truly excellent human beings — honesty, responsibility, humility — are the same ones that make organizations truly excellent performers. Leaders leave with a concrete architecture for building cultures where people flourish and results follow.
The most powerful driver of employee commitment is not salary, benefits, or perks. It is the belief that one's work contributes to something that genuinely matters. Drawing from his book The Meaning Revolution, Kofman shows how leaders can create organizations where purpose is not a poster on the wall but the operating principle behind every decision. This keynote offers C-suite audiences a reframe of leadership itself — from managing performance to inspiring meaning — and explains why organizations that make this shift consistently outcompete those that don't.
Most organizational dysfunction traces back not to strategy failures or resource gaps, but to conversations that were avoided, distorted, or handled without courage. Fred Kofman presents his proven framework for authentic dialogue — helping leaders speak truth without sacrificing relationships, disagree without disrespecting, and build a culture where honest communication is a competitive advantage rather than a risk. Drawn from his work coaching leaders at Google, LinkedIn, and beyond.
In today's complex, fast-moving organizations, technical skill is necessary but not sufficient. True leadership mastery requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to align personal values with organizational purpose. Kofman presents the Metamanagement framework — integrating philosophy, psychology, and economics — as a roadmap for leaders who want to move from competent management to genuinely transformational leadership. A rigorous, deeply applicable keynote for senior executives navigating complexity and change.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Fred Kofman
Why Fred Kofman?
Booking Fred Kofman for your event means bringing one of the world's most intellectually serious and personally transformative voices on leadership to your audience. Ranked among the Top 5 Business Coaches globally by The Information in 2024, Kofman has shaped the leadership cultures of Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and OpenAI — working directly with the CEOs of those companies. He doesn't deliver inspiration that evaporates after the event. He gives leaders a new operating framework: one that links personal consciousness and organizational values directly to performance and business results. If your organization is navigating culture change, leadership development, or the challenge of building purpose-driven teams, there is no more credible or compelling voice available. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check Fred Kofman's availability for your next event.
What is "conscious business" and why does it matter?
Conscious business, as defined by Fred Kofman, is an approach to organizational life that integrates purpose, integrity, and human awareness into the way companies operate — not as a values exercise, but as a performance strategy. The core premise is that organizations whose members find genuine meaning in their work, take unconditional responsibility for their actions, and communicate with authentic honesty outperform those driven solely by financial incentives. Kofman developed this framework over decades of research and practice, codified it in his landmark book Conscious Business (translated into 14 languages), and applied it at companies including Google, LinkedIn, and Microsoft.
What books has Fred Kofman written?
Fred Kofman is the author of three major works: Metamanagement (2001), a trilogy applying philosophy, psychology, and economics to organizational effectiveness; Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values (2008), which has become a global management classic in 14 languages and won the 2009 Nautilus Award; and The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership (2018), which argues that the most powerful motivational force in any organization is not compensation or status but the opportunity to contribute to something larger than oneself. Sheryl Sandberg described Conscious Business in Lean In as essential reading for every executive.
What topics does leadership speaker Fred Kofman cover?
Fred Kofman speaks on conscious leadership, organizational culture, executive coaching, purpose-driven performance, authentic communication, emotional intelligence, and the relationship between personal meaning and business results. His keynotes draw on his work advising the CEOs of Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and OpenAI, and are designed for senior leadership teams, HR and culture executives, and organizations investing in leadership development at scale. He delivers in both English and Spanish. To book Fred Kofman or learn more about his speaking topics and fees, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Fred Kofman as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Fred Kofman as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Fred Kofman'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 Fred Kofman or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Fred Kofman speaking fee?
Fred Kofman 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 Fred Kofman 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 Fred Kofman.
How can I contact Fred Kofman?
We only work with Fred Kofman on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Fred Kofman and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Fred Kofman 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 Fred Kofman for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Fred Kofman for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Fred Kofman is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Fred Kofman for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
