Naveen Jain
Founder & CEO of Viome | Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Moon Express | Founder of InfoSpace | Author of 'Moonshots' | XPRIZE & Singularity University
Marvin Rees
Former Mayor of Bristol (2016-2024) & the First Black Mayor of a Major European City | Global Voice on City Leadership, Climate & Inclusion | TED Speaker & OBE
Marvin Rees made history as the first person of Black African heritage elected mayor of a major European city, leading Bristol from 2016 to 2024. Raised by a single mother amid racism and disadvantage, he built a reputation for bold, inclusive city leadership, from a billion-pound clean-energy partnership to his acclaimed 'One City' model. A TED speaker and now a member of the House of Lords, he inspires audiences on leadership and cities.
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Marvin Rees biography
Leadership speaker Marvin Rees made history in 2016 when he was elected Mayor of Bristol, becoming the first person of Black African heritage ever elected to lead a major European city. Over two terms, through austerity, Brexit, a pandemic, and a fast-moving climate emergency, he earned an international reputation for a bold, practical, and unusually collaborative style of city leadership. His story, and his message, are rooted in a simple conviction: that leaders can build fairer, more inclusive, and more hopeful cities, even in the hardest of times.
Rees’s leadership is inseparable from his own journey. Raised by a white single mother in 1970s Bristol, moving between some of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, he grew up facing racism and economic hardship, experiences that forged his lifelong commitment to social justice, racial equality, and social mobility. Before entering politics, he worked in international development with Tearfund, as a broadcast journalist at the BBC, and in public health for the NHS, and he is a Yale World Fellow and a graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
Building the City of the Future
As mayor, Rees delivered some of the most ambitious urban initiatives in the UK, including Bristol City Leap, a billion-pound public-private partnership to decarbonize the city’s energy system, the major Temple Quarter regeneration, and thousands of new affordable homes, all coordinated through his pioneering “One City” approach. A passionate advocate for the power of cities to solve global challenges, he delivered a widely viewed TED Talk on the role cities play in tackling the climate crisis. He was awarded an OBE for services to local government and, in 2025, became a member of the House of Lords as Lord Rees of Easton.
As a speaker, Marvin Rees is inspiring, thoughtful, and refreshingly candid, drawing on a life and a career that few can match. He speaks on leadership in complex, high-pressure environments, the future of cities and their role in tackling climate change and inequality, diversity, inclusion, and social mobility, and how his own story of overcoming disadvantage shaped the leader he became. Audiences leave moved by his journey and energized by his belief that better, fairer futures are ours to build.
Marvin Rees Speaking Videos
How Is Your City Tackling the Climate Crisis? | Marvin Rees | TED
Bristol's Reimagined Future - Mayor Marvin Rees: Blue Earth Summit 2023
Marvin Rees Keynote Topics
Few leaders have navigated as much turbulence as Marvin Rees, who steered a major city through austerity, Brexit, a global pandemic, and a climate emergency, all at once. In this keynote he shares what he learned about leading under sustained pressure: how to make difficult decisions with limited resources, build coalitions across divides, hold to a long-term vision amid daily crises, and keep people motivated and hopeful when times are hard. A candid, practical talk on real-world leadership for any leader facing complexity and change.
Cities are where the defining challenges of our age, climate change, inequality, migration, and social cohesion, will be won or lost. Drawing on his TED Talk and his record delivering landmark projects like Bristol's billion-pound clean-energy partnership, Marvin Rees makes a compelling case for the power of cities and city leadership to drive global change. He shares practical lessons on urban regeneration, the green transition, and building cities that work for everyone. An inspiring, big-picture keynote on the places most of humanity now calls home.
Marvin Rees's rise, from a mixed-race child raised by a single mother in Bristol's toughest neighborhoods to the first Black mayor of a major European city, is a genuinely extraordinary story. In this moving keynote he shares how he overcame racism, disadvantage, and self-doubt, and how those experiences shaped his values and his leadership. Honest and deeply human, it is a powerful message about resilience, social mobility, and the belief that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.
Marvin Rees has spent his life working to make opportunity accessible to everyone, from his early career in international development and public health to his signature "One City" approach as mayor. In this keynote he explores what it really takes to build more inclusive, equitable organizations and communities: confronting systemic barriers, widening social mobility, and turning a commitment to fairness into practical, measurable action. A thoughtful, values-driven talk for any organization serious about inclusion and social impact.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Marvin Rees
Why Marvin Rees?
Booking Marvin Rees brings audiences a genuinely historic leader with a rare combination of lived experience, real achievement, and inspiring vision. As the first person of Black African heritage elected to lead a major European city, he guided Bristol through some of the most turbulent years in recent memory, delivering ambitious projects on climate, housing, and regeneration along the way. His personal story, from hardship and racism to city hall and the House of Lords, is profoundly moving, and his insights on leadership, cities, climate, and inclusion are both practical and forward-looking. He is ideal for events on leadership, the future of cities, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and social change. To bring Marvin Rees to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Marvin Rees?
Marvin Rees, Lord Rees of Easton, is a British leader who served as Mayor of Bristol from 2016 to 2024, making history as the first person of Black African heritage elected mayor of any major European city. Raised by a white single mother in 1970s Bristol, he overcame racism and economic disadvantage, experiences that shaped his commitment to social justice and inclusion. Before politics, he worked with the international development agency Tearfund, as a broadcast journalist at the BBC, and in public health for the NHS. As mayor, he led landmark initiatives including the billion-pound Bristol City Leap energy partnership, the Temple Quarter regeneration, and his "One City" approach. He is a Yale World Fellow, delivered a TED Talk on cities and climate, was awarded an OBE for services to local government, and in 2025 became a member of the House of Lords.
What did Marvin Rees achieve as Mayor of Bristol?
Over two terms as Mayor of Bristol (2016-2024), Marvin Rees became known for ambitious, delivery-focused city leadership. Among his signature achievements was Bristol City Leap, a roughly billion-pound public-private partnership to decarbonize the city's energy system, one of the most ambitious municipal climate initiatives in Europe. He also drove the major Temple Quarter regeneration, one of the largest urban regeneration projects on the continent, and oversaw the building of thousands of new affordable homes. He is especially associated with the "One City" approach, a collaborative model that aligned businesses, public services, and communities around shared long-term goals for Bristol, and which has drawn interest from other cities. Throughout, he navigated national austerity, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic while championing social mobility, inclusion, and the idea of Bristol as a "City of Hope."
What topics does leadership speaker Marvin Rees cover?
Marvin Rees speaks on leadership through crisis and complexity, the future of cities and their role in tackling climate change and inequality, his personal journey from adversity to leadership, and building more inclusive and equitable organizations and societies. His keynotes suit events on leadership, the future of cities and urbanism, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and social impact, for corporate, public-sector, and general audiences. To book Marvin Rees as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Marvin Rees as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Marvin Rees as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Marvin Rees'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 Marvin Rees or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Marvin Rees speaking fee?
Marvin Rees 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 Marvin Rees 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 Marvin Rees.
How can I contact Marvin Rees?
We only work with Marvin Rees on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Marvin Rees and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Marvin Rees 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 Marvin Rees for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Marvin Rees for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Marvin Rees is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Marvin Rees for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
