Anna Escobedo Cabral
42nd U.S. Treasurer | Chair, BBVA Microfinance Foundation | Co-Founder, The Cabral Group | Former Senior Advisor, Inter-American Development Bank
John Boudreau
Professor Emeritus, USC Marshall School of Business | Senior Research Scientist, Center for Effective Organizations | Author: Work Without Jobs & Reinventing Jobs
John Boudreau has spent three decades producing the research that CHROs and CEOs use to make decisions about talent, automation, and work design. His books Work Without Jobs and Reinventing Jobs have set the intellectual agenda for AI-era workforce strategy. As a speaker, he translates that body of evidence into frameworks senior leaders can apply immediately to redesign how work actually gets done.
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John Boudreau biography
John Boudreau is one of the world’s most cited and respected researchers on the future of work, human capital strategy, and the transformation of HR in the age of automation and AI. Professor Emeritus of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations, he has spent over three decades producing the evidence base that CHROs, CEOs, and boards rely on to make consequential decisions about talent, work design, and organizational structure. With more than 200 publications and over ten books, his work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Fast Company, and has been cited more than 30,000 times in academic literature.
Future of work speaker John Boudreau is best known for a body of research and writing that consistently asks the question other HR thinkers avoid: not how to manage jobs better, but whether the concept of a job is still the right unit of analysis at all. His frameworks, developed over two decades and stress-tested with clients including Boeing, IBM, Microsoft, Merck, GE, Unilever, and the United Nations, have fundamentally changed how leading organizations think about work design, automation strategy, and talent investment. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the American Psychological Association, and recipient of the 2018 Heneman Career Achievement Award from the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management.
Reinventing Work for the Age of AI
Boudreau’s most influential recent work, developed in collaboration with Ravin Jesuthasan and published by MIT Press, makes the case that organizations need an entirely new work operating system: one that deconstructs jobs into tasks, matches those tasks to the optimal combination of human skill and automation, and allows talent to flow to work rather than being locked into rigid job descriptions. His earlier book, Reinventing Jobs (Harvard Business Review Press), gave leaders a four-step framework for applying automation intelligently rather than reflexively. Together, these two books have become required reading for CHROs and operations leaders navigating AI-driven workforce transformation.
As a speaker, John Boudreau translates rigorous, decades-long research into frameworks that senior audiences can apply immediately. His keynotes are known for combining intellectual precision with practical clarity, challenging HR and business leaders to move beyond incremental adaptation and redesign the operating systems that govern how work actually gets done. For organizations facing the deepest structural questions about talent, automation, and organizational agility, Boudreau is among the most valuable thinkers available.
John Boudreau Speaking Videos
on reinventing jobs and applying automation to work
HR Researcher Dr. John Boudreau Shares Major Findings on Artificial Intelligence and Automation
John Boudreau Keynote Topics
The most consequential shift in how organizations manage talent is not about which tools to use or which skills to hire for: it is about abandoning the job as the fundamental unit of work design. Drawing from his MIT Press book and fieldwork with leading global organizations, Boudreau walks leadership teams through the architecture of a new work operating system that deconstructs roles into tasks, optimizes human and automated contributions at that granular level, and enables talent to flow dynamically to where it creates the most value. A framework-rich, immediately applicable keynote for any organization serious about AI-era workforce transformation.
Most organizations approach automation reactively, driven by cost pressure or vendor pitches rather than strategic clarity. Boudreau's four-step framework — deconstruct, optimize, automate, reconfigure — gives leadership teams a precise, planful method for deciding where, when, and how to apply automation in ways that genuinely enhance performance rather than simply reduce headcount. Based on the research behind his Harvard Business Review Press book, this keynote replaces hype with evidence and gives CHROs, COOs, and C-suite leaders a shared language for making better decisions about human-machine combinations.
Most organizations invest in talent broadly and measure HR inputs uniformly. Boudreau's research shows that this is a strategic error: a small number of roles and capabilities drive a disproportionate share of organizational performance, and the organizations that identify and invest in those pivot points consistently outperform those that do not. This keynote gives leaders the analytical tools to locate where talent truly matters, build the HR measurement systems that reflect strategic priorities, and make smarter, more defensible investment decisions about people.
HR is at an inflection point. As AI, automation, and alternative work arrangements reshape organizations, the function risks being left behind by the very transformation it should be leading. Drawing from his longitudinal research on HR effectiveness conducted at USC's Center for Effective Organizations, Boudreau outlines what separates HR functions that drive enterprise strategy from those that merely support it. This is a keynote for senior HR leaders and board members who want to understand what the function must become to remain relevant and impactful in a radically different world of work.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking John Boudreau
Why John Boudreau?
Booking John Boudreau means bringing one of the most credentialed and practically useful thinkers on the future of work to your audience. His research has been cited over 30,000 times, his frameworks are used by some of the world's largest organizations, and his books — including Work Without Jobs and Reinventing Jobs — have set the intellectual agenda for how forward-thinking companies approach automation, work design, and talent strategy. He does not simply describe trends: he gives leadership teams the specific conceptual tools to redesign how work gets done in their organizations. For HR leadership summits, C-suite executive education, and corporate transformation events, Boudreau is in the highest tier of available speakers. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check availability and discuss program options.
What is the central argument of Work Without Jobs?
Work Without Jobs, co-authored with Ravin Jesuthasan and published by MIT Press, argues that the traditional "job" — a fixed bundle of tasks assigned to a defined role with a job title and description — is increasingly inadequate as the basic unit of work organization. As automation, AI, and alternative work arrangements fragment what jobs used to contain, organizations need a new work operating system: one that starts with the work itself (tasks, outcomes, decisions), matches those elements to the optimal combination of human skills and automated processes, and allows talent to flow dynamically rather than being permanently assigned to rigid positions. The book provides a practical roadmap for implementing this approach, with real-world cases from organizations already making the transition.
What awards and recognition has John Boudreau received?
Boudreau is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the American Psychological Association — three of the most selective recognitions in the field. He received the 2018 Heneman Career Achievement Award from the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management, which recognizes sustained, significant contributions to HR research and practice. He also received the 2013 Michael Losey Award from SHRM for research excellence, the Academy of Management's Organizational Behavior New Concept Award, and the Human Resource Scholarly Contribution Award. In 2023 he received the John S. Day Distinguished Alumni Academic Service Award from Purdue's Daniels School of Business.
What topics does future of work speaker John Boudreau cover?
John Boudreau speaks on the future of work and HR, work design and job deconstruction, automation and AI strategy for talent, human capital analytics and measurement, the evolving role of the CHRO, and how organizations build sustainable competitive advantage through superior people strategy. His keynotes are particularly well suited to HR leadership forums, C-suite executive education programs, people strategy conferences, and organizations undergoing significant workforce transformation. For topic options and availability, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau directly.
How to book John Boudreau as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book John Boudreau as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about John Boudreau'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 John Boudreau or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is John Boudreau speaking fee?
John Boudreau 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 John Boudreau 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 John Boudreau.
How can I contact John Boudreau?
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Can I book John Boudreau for a virtual keynote?
Yes, John Boudreau is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book John Boudreau for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
