Inclusive Leadership Speaker

Given René’s experience and exposure to some of the world’s best leaders and companies, he has the unique ability to deliver and inspire change through the many stories he has collected over his corporate career. This enables him to speak assertively on themes such as:

• Inclusive Leadership
• Belonging
• Corporate Culture
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Collaboration
• Business Transformation

René has acquired a reputation for providing first-hand advice and support for a series of successful CEOs in the Fortune 500, FTSE 100 and all around the world. Many may claim to have worked at the ‘sharp end’ with CEOs, but in actual fact very few have. He has worked closely with Jim Yong Kim (President, The World Bank), Antony Jenkins (CEO, Barclays Bank), Mario Greco (CEO, Generali) and Maria Ramos (CEO, Absa Bank). As one of the most renowned leadership speakers, hardly any can match his sustained track record of success.

As the world of work faces a period of transformation, driven by the increase in racial and social awareness, our CEOs and our businesses have to meet the demands of a new generation that places Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) at their hearts. Recently we have seen an increased interest for René to address both ‘Leading Through a Crisis’ and cultural transformation brought by the Black Lives Matter movement. This requires inclusive leadership and provides leadership teams with straightforward, compelling advice and guidance to inspire change and improve their own corporate culture.

Having led Inclusion conversations, panels & discussions online this year with many businesses including:

• Credit Suisse
• Microsoft
• Unite Students
• Motorsport UK
• Reckitt Benckiser
• Barclays
• Marsh MacLennan
• EON
• HSBC
• Warner Media
• Dow Jones

René specialises in delivering performances that show precisely how contemporary leaders can electrify a crowd through a passionate and authentic connection. He demonstrates just how captivating an emotionally intelligent approach can be. He is never about theory – it is all about actions and behaviours that we can adopt that will make us more powerful when we come together.

Everyone remembers how his sessions made them feel.

Business leaders are not only tasked with stabilising their operations during the pandemic, they know that in order to rebuild their company’s culture, it must be with a committed effort towards:

• Inclusion
• Diversity
• Belonging
• Clarity
• Certainty
• Hope

Doing nothing is not an option. Maybe doing the same thing you have always done may not deliver the future so many deserve. Fortune will favour those brave enough to try things differently. René’s way of working is to start by understanding the environment, challenges and terrain of the organisation. By getting ‘under the skin’ of the leaders (and fully understanding their vision and route map). René then usually works with the top team to help deliver the vision, strategy and culture in a cohesive manner. This includes a highly confidential report directly for the CEO to then better understand the progressive steps needed to create an inclusive environment.

Far too many companies have adopted a best practice and universal approach to dealing with their very specific and unique Diversity and Inclusion challenges. In our experience, this rarely works. Every business is both distinct and unique and therefore requires a bespoke solution. Including the following:

• Our unique Inclusive Leadership Executive Development Programme will cover leadership, culture and collaboration in an interactive fashion, and as importantly, enable all members of the Leadership team to play an active part
• We will design and build a bespoke programme of interventions unique to the organisation, which will provide inspirational insights, shared ‘lived experience’ and compelling case studies that will fuel robust debate. This will lift the attendees’ sights and inject them with the passion and spirit to enthuse all they work with. The programme will be suitable for both offline and online circumstances.
• He will role model the desired leadership behaviours and attitude throughout his involvement with the Leadership Team.
• The best teams will need to have diverse personalities and backgrounds that provides balance, challenge and support. There may well be some gaps that will become obvious and require attention.
• The Inclusive Leadership Executive Development Programme is designed to put collaboration at the heart of how the Leadership Team behaves.
• René will lead and facilitate the whole programme, bringing in high calibre executives to share their ‘lived experience’.
• Each organisation will have a dedicated account manager as well as support from René’s team to deliver the Inclusive Leadership Executive Development Programme.

This strengths based leadership approach will assist you in making the most honest and authentic assessment of your true (few) outstanding inherent strengths (Spikes).

Spikes’ strengths based focus is the most straightforward and perhaps most progressive leadership approach to:

• Building self-esteem and confidence
• Accelerating your executive career
• Building truly inclusive high-performing teams
• Ensuring no-one is left behind