Daniel Susskind
Author of What Should My Children Do?, Growth & A World Without Work | Mercers' Professor, Gresham College | Oxford & Stanford Economist | AI & Future of Work Expert
Kate Sweetman
Thinkers50 Honoree | Former Harvard Business Review Editor | Director, The SEACEN Centre | Co-Author, The Leadership Code | Organizational Reinvention Expert
Kate Sweetman studies what separates organizations that reinvent themselves from those that stall. A Thinkers50 honoree, former Harvard Business Review editor, and co-author of The Leadership Code, she now advises 18 Asian central banks on leadership and governance. Her research across 40 countries and 59 industries gives senior audiences a clear framework for upgrading culture, building leaders, and turning disruption into measurable results.
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Kate Sweetman biography
Leadership speaker Kate Sweetman is a management thinker, author, and former Harvard Business Review editor whose work focuses on how leaders and organizations perform under disruption. Twice recognized by Thinkers50 and designated an Emerging Guru by The Times of London, she pairs editorial rigor with decades of consulting inside multinational corporations, financial institutions, and government bodies across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Sweetman is Director of Leadership, Governance and Human Capital at The SEACEN Centre in Kuala Lumpur, where she partners with 18 Asian central banks on leadership capability, governance effectiveness, organizational resilience, and human capital strategy. Earlier, she served as Director of Research and Curriculum at the Iclif Centre for Leadership and Governance, and she has taught and coached entrepreneurs and executives through MIT’s Legatum Center and Duke Corporate Education.
From Research to Reinvention
She co-authored The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By (Harvard Business Press) with Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood, a widely used framework that identifies what effective leaders consistently do regardless of industry or culture. With Shane Cragun, she wrote Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption, built on a global study spanning 40 countries and 59 industries. Her diagnosis is direct: “Companies are trying to succeed in the 4th Industrial Revolution with 1.0 cultural software.”
As Founding Principal of SweetmanCragun, a consultancy that helps organizations through transformation and growth, she has advised Goldman Sachs, BP, Citigroup, Novartis, DHL, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among others. Her consulting work spans 25 countries and sectors ranging from financial services and pharmaceuticals to fertilizers and LED lighting.
As a speaker, Kate Sweetman gives senior audiences a practical model for leading through change: how to diagnose leadership gaps, upgrade culture, and turn disruption into momentum. Her keynotes connect research with field experience from boardrooms and central banks, so leadership teams leave with a shared language and specific next steps they can apply right away.
Kate Sweetman Speaking Videos
Interview with Kate Sweetman
Kate Sweetman - Leadership in a world of motion
Kate Sweetman Keynote Topics
Built on the book she co-authored with Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood, this keynote breaks leadership down into five rules that effective leaders follow in every industry and culture: shaping strategy, making things happen, engaging today's talent, building the next generation, and investing in personal proficiency. Sweetman shows leadership teams how to use the code as a diagnostic, pinpoint capability gaps, and create a common leadership language across the enterprise.
Drawing on her book Reinvention and a global study across 40 countries and 59 industries, Sweetman explains why some organizations accelerate through disruption while others stall. She outlines the most common barriers to change, the mindsets leaders need to let go of, and the practical tools that help individuals and teams reinvent how they work and deliver results faster.
Many companies are trying to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution with cultural software written for an earlier era. In this keynote, Sweetman sets out the leadership behaviors, structures, and cultural shifts that let leaders inspire commitment instead of enforcing compliance. It is especially relevant for executive teams leading digital transformation, generational change, and new ways of working.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Kate Sweetman
Why Kate Sweetman?
Kate Sweetman combines the editorial perspective of a former Harvard Business Review editor with decades of hands-on consulting across 25 countries. Twice recognized by Thinkers50 and now advising 18 Asian central banks through The SEACEN Centre, she gives senior audiences evidence-based frameworks for leadership, culture, and reinvention that teams can apply the next day. Her keynotes suit leadership summits, HR and talent conferences, and executive offsites facing disruption. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check Kate Sweetman's availability for your event.
What is The Leadership Code?
The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By, published by Harvard Business Press, was written by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman. It condenses leadership research into five rules: shape the future as a strategist, make things happen as an executor, engage today's talent, build the next generation, and invest in personal proficiency. Organizations use it as a common standard for selecting, assessing, and developing leaders.
What does Kate Sweetman's research say about leading in the Age of Disruption?
In Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption, written with Shane Cragun, Sweetman draws on a global study covering 40 countries and 59 industries. Her central argument is that many organizations try to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution with outdated cultural software, and that reinvention requires leaders to update mindsets, systems, and culture together rather than relying on incremental change.
What topics does leadership speaker Kate Sweetman cover?
Kate Sweetman speaks on leadership in the digital age, organizational transformation and reinvention, culture change, governance and leadership in financial institutions, and developing leaders at scale. Sessions can be tailored for C-suite teams, boards, HR and talent leaders, or high-potential cohorts. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help shape her keynote around the specific challenges your organization faces.
How to book Kate Sweetman as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Kate Sweetman as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Kate Sweetman'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 Kate Sweetman or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Kate Sweetman speaking fee?
Kate Sweetman 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 Kate Sweetman 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 Kate Sweetman.
How can I contact Kate Sweetman?
We only work with Kate Sweetman on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Kate Sweetman and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Kate Sweetman 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 Kate Sweetman for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Kate Sweetman for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Kate Sweetman is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Kate Sweetman for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
