Scott Stratten
President of UnMarketing | NSA Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker | 5x Bestselling Author | Forbes Top 5 Social Media Influencer
Simon Mainwaring
Brand Futurist | Founder, We First & MAIN Advisory | NYT & WSJ Bestselling Author of Lead With We | Real Leaders Top 50 Keynote Speaker
Simon Mainwaring spent fifteen years as a Worldwide Creative Director at Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Wieden & Kennedy before building two of the most influential voices in purpose-driven business. As a two-time NYT and WSJ bestselling author and founder of We First, he has helped the world's most admired brands turn purpose into competitive advantage. His keynotes give leaders a proven framework for growth in an era where profit and impact are inseparable.
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Simon Mainwaring biography
Simon Mainwaring is a brand futurist, bestselling author, and one of the world’s most compelling voices on the business case for purpose — the idea that the most resilient, high-growth companies are those that put collective impact at the center of their strategy. Shaped by fifteen years as a Worldwide Creative Director at global agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, Wieden & Kennedy, and DDB — working with brands such as Nike, Toyota, and Motorola — he brings both creative depth and strategic rigor to a message that has never been more urgent.
Sustainability speaker Simon Mainwaring is the founder of We First, a B Corp “Best For The World” honoree and Real Leaders Top 100 Impact Company, through which he has built and repositioned purpose-driven brands for clients including TOMS, Patagonia, Coca-Cola, SAP, Timberland, Clif Bar, and VF Corporation. He also founded MAIN Advisory, through which he advises global corporations, private equity and venture firms, and high-growth startups on the leadership, culture, and narrative alignment that drives enterprise value — with a particular focus on helping organizations navigate AI adoption while keeping human judgment and social license at the center of their strategy.
Mainwaring is the author of two landmark bestsellers. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World became a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller, was named Best Marketing Book of the Year by strategy+business, and has been translated into Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean. His follow-up, Lead With We: The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future, earned Wall Street Journal bestseller status, was ranked the #2 Best Business Book of the Year by Forbes, named a McKinsey Top Business Bestseller on Workplace & Culture, and became an Axiom Gold Medalist in the Leadership category.
Global Recognition at the Intersection of Purpose, Brand, and Leadership
Mainwaring has been ranked among Real Leaders magazine’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World, named a Thinkers360 Top 100 B2B Thought Leader and Top 25 Climate Change Thought Leader, and voted a Top 5 Marketing Speaker by speaking.com for five consecutive years. He has served as a Jury Member at the Cannes Lions Festival for the Sustainable Development Goals and at the US One Show for Sustainable Development, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London. He hosts the widely followed Lead With We podcast and writes the influential “Purpose at Work” column for the Forbes CMO Network. He was a finalist for Global Australian of the Year and served as interim CMO at TOMS in 2015.
As a speaker, Simon Mainwaring occupies a rare position: he speaks with the credibility of a former global creative director, the authority of a twice-over bestselling author, and the strategic clarity of an advisor who has worked across industries at the intersection of purpose, technology, and growth. His keynotes move senior audiences beyond the language of CSR and ESG to a practical, evidence-based framework for building businesses that earn loyalty, attract talent, and generate durable financial performance — in a world where the pressure to lead with both profit and impact has never been greater.
Simon Mainwaring Speaking Videos
Simon Mainwaring keynote
Simon Mainwaring - From Me First to We First
Simon Mainwaring Keynote Topics
The companies that will define the next decade are not those that chase the loudest market signals — they are those that build the deepest trust. Drawing from his Wall Street Journal bestseller and decades of work with global brands, Simon Mainwaring presents the "Lead With We" framework: a practical, evidence-based blueprint for transforming leadership, culture, and brand strategy around a shared sense of collective purpose. Audiences leave with a clear architecture for turning purpose into performance — showing how the shift from "me-first" to "we-first" thinking consistently unlocks greater innovation, loyalty, and long-term enterprise value.
The business case for purpose has never been clearer — or more urgent. In this keynote, Mainwaring draws on case studies from P&G, Patagonia, TOMS, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Walmart to show how leading brands have transformed their growth trajectories by embedding social and environmental impact into their core business model — not as an add-on, but as a strategic engine. Audiences learn how to move beyond CSR and ESG compliance to build purpose programs that generate measurable returns across customer acquisition, talent retention, investor confidence, and brand resilience.
As AI reshapes every business function, the leaders who will succeed are not those who adopt the most tools — but those who keep human judgment, trust, and culture at the center of their strategy. Drawing from his current advisory work with global corporations and PE firms navigating AI transformation, Mainwaring explores what it means to lead with integrity at the intersection of technology and humanity. This keynote equips senior leaders with a framework for AI adoption that accelerates performance without eroding the social license, brand trust, and organizational culture that took years to build.
Consumer expectations have fundamentally shifted. Employees, investors, and customers are choosing brands based not just on what they make, but on who they are and what they stand for. In this keynote, Mainwaring — a former Worldwide Creative Director who has shaped some of the world's most iconic brand voices — explores how organizations can build the kind of brand trust that becomes a durable competitive moat. From narrative alignment to stakeholder engagement to the art of authentic purpose storytelling, this is a keynote for leaders who understand that brand is no longer marketing's job alone: it is the entire organization's most important strategic asset.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Simon Mainwaring
Why Simon Mainwaring?
Booking Simon Mainwaring means bringing one of the world's foremost authorities on purpose-driven leadership and brand strategy to your event — with credentials that span the boardroom, the bestseller list, and the global stage. He is a two-time New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a Real Leaders Top 50 Keynote Speaker in the World, a Cannes Lions jury member, and the founder of two acclaimed advisory practices serving clients from Fortune 500 companies to high-growth startups. His keynotes are not motivational abstractions — they are grounded in fifteen years of creative leadership at the world's top advertising agencies and decades of hands-on brand transformation work. Organizations that need to make a compelling, evidence-based case for purpose, sustainability, and human-centered leadership to senior audiences choose Simon Mainwaring. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability for your event.
What are Simon Mainwaring's books about?
Simon Mainwaring has written two landmark business books. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (2011) introduced the concept of "We First" capitalism — the idea that brands and consumers can work together through social media to generate both business growth and meaningful social impact. It became a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and was named Best Marketing Book of the Year by strategy+business. His second book, Lead With We: The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future (2021), extends that framework into a comprehensive playbook for purpose-led business transformation, becoming a Wall Street Journal bestseller, #2 Forbes Best Business Book of the Year, and McKinsey Top Business Bestseller on Workplace & Culture.
What is We First?
We First is the strategic brand consultancy Simon Mainwaring founded to help purpose-driven companies align their growth strategy with positive social impact. Recognized as a B Corp "Best For The World" honoree and a Real Leaders Top 100 Impact Company in the US, We First has worked with global brands including TOMS, Patagonia, Coca-Cola, SAP, Timberland, Clif Bar, and VF Corporation. The firm specializes in purpose strategy, brand storytelling, and the kind of narrative alignment that builds trust with consumers, employees, and investors simultaneously.
What topics does keynote speaker Simon Mainwaring cover?
Simon Mainwaring speaks on purpose-driven leadership and brand strategy, sustainability and ESG as business growth drivers, the human implications of AI and technology adoption, conscious capitalism, the future of marketing and brand trust, and how organizations can build cultures of collective impact that attract top talent and earn consumer loyalty. His keynotes are fully customizable for corporate leadership summits, marketing conferences, sustainability forums, and investor events. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to discuss how Simon Mainwaring's content can be tailored for your audience.
How to book Simon Mainwaring as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Simon Mainwaring as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Simon Mainwaring'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 Simon Mainwaring or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Simon Mainwaring speaking fee?
Simon Mainwaring 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 Simon Mainwaring 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 Simon Mainwaring.
How can I contact Simon Mainwaring?
We only work with Simon Mainwaring on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Simon Mainwaring and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Simon Mainwaring 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 Simon Mainwaring for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Simon Mainwaring for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Simon Mainwaring is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Simon Mainwaring for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
