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Bespoke speeches and presentations

Working with Professor Laura Empson

Through my speeches and presentations, I educate as well as entertain, while inspiring and supporting professionals to achieve their objectives.

I don’t give standard, off-the-peg keynote speeches. Instead I find out what is behind a client’s invitation. What are they hoping to achieve from my speech? How will my expertise resonate particularly with the audience?

If relevant and practical, I interview key people in the firm to find out more about their preoccupations and concerns.

This careful preparation enables me to highlight the data and insights from my more than 30 years of research which will resonate most powerfully with my audience.

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Specialist subjects

Laura offers advisory consultations and keynote speeches, based on insights from her lifetime of academic research, to help leaders of professional organizations navigate their most pressing challenges. Here is a selection of the subjects she covers.

Collective leadership

Distinctive dynamics among professionals.

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Power of partnership

Realizing the individual and collective potential within professional service firms.

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Leadership and culture

Reinvigorating professionals and their organizations.

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Future of professional work

Leading collectively through uncertainty.

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Growth and change

Navigating rapid growth and change in professional organizations.

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Can’t see what you’re looking for?

Leaders of professional organizations approach Laura for a variety of reasons. Explore more here.

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Testimonials

“Laura is one of a small handful of academics in the world who can speak with genuine authority and credibility about what makes professional service firms tick. Her ability to bring well researched insights to relatable real-life issues, and to speak about them in an inspirational way, makes her an ideal choice for audiences of ‘hard-to-impress’ professionals.”
Global Senior Partner, Law firm

“Definitely the best speech I have ever heard at our partner conference.” Partner, Big Four firm

“Prof Empson's speech was excellent. It was not full of jargon or ‘consultant' speak. Refreshingly honest. She understands our firm dynamics. Practical and directly applicable to the way we work with one another. I walked away with action points that will definitely change how I manage my practice and interact with colleagues and clients.” Partner, Law firm

References available on request

Selected speaking engagements

Allen & Overy

Leading autonomous followers: Decoding leadership dynamics

Deloitte

Stages of growth in professional partnerships

EY

Power of partnership: Forging a collegial identity

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Strategy for growth: Making change happen

Harvard Law School

Unleashing the power of partnership: Optimising governance in professional organizations

Houses of Parliament (UK)

Merging professional organizations: Cultural integration and culture change

IFIAR (International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators)

Governance in the accounting sector: Challenges and change

KPMG

Taking responsibility: Becoming a leader in an accounting firm

London Business School

Insecurity and professionals: Vulnerabilities, opportunities, and the gig economy

Stockholm School of Economics

Elite interviewing in professional organizations

Thomson Reuters

Power, politics, and prima donnas: Leadership in professional service firms.

University of Oxford

Emotional and physical distance in hybrid working: Implications for professionals’ knowledge, power, and identity

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Latest thinking

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