Speaking – Madeline Miller

Your audience already feels the change. I help them name it and know what to do next.

Research-informed keynotes on the future of work, the next generation of talent, and the changing demands of leadership. For conferences, leadership offsites, professional associations, and education audiences.

Ideas your audience will still be using on Monday.

Changes in work are raising questions that affect every generation: how people build careers, what earns trust, how leaders communicate, and where the next generation develops the judgment and experience it needs.

My talks connect those wider changes to situations people recognize in their own work. Audiences leave with useful language for the challenges they face and practical ways to respond.

I draw on original research, conversations across education and industry, and twenty years in high-pressure environments spanning law, government, international institutions, and entertainment.

Speaking Topics

01 FOUNDATION

The Legitimacy Gap: What Work Needs Now

The growing distance between what education and work promise and what people actually experience is changing how people approach careers, leadership, and professional life.

This talk explores what that gap means for trust, commitment, and capability, and how organizations can respond as AI and changing expectations reshape the relationship between people and work.

02 CAPABILITY

Building the Next Generation of Capability

What do people entering work now expect, and what do they need to succeed?

Drawing on research and conversations with graduates and early-career employees, this talk explores how AI, changing expectations, and fewer opportunities to learn through experience are reshaping early careers. It examines what employers, educators, and professional bodies can do to attract, engage, develop, and retain the next generation.

03 CULTURE

Leading Across Generations

Different expectations of feedback, progression, flexibility, and authority can create friction between people who need to work together.

This talk looks beyond generational stereotypes to explore what shapes those expectations. It gives leaders and teams concrete ways to build understanding, communicate clearly, and work through differences that affect collaboration and performance.

04 EXECUTIVE

The New Rules of Influence

Expertise matters. So does the ability to make your thinking clear, understand your audience, and earn trust in the moments that count.

This talk explores what happens around the words: expectations, relationships, and reactions when the stakes rise. Audiences learn how to read the moment, communicate their reasoning, and hold their ground under pressure.

05 FOUNDATION

The Power Edit: Find Your Voice. Know How to Use It.

Knowing what you want to say and feeling able to say it are not always the same thing.

This talk explores how people communicate their value, navigate expectations, and use their voice with greater confidence and intention. It connects professional identity with practical communication, including making a case, holding a position, and responding to pushback.

✦ BESPOKE ENGAGEMENT DESIGN

Shaped Around Your Audience

Every talk is shaped around your audience, sector, and brief.

We agree on the focus, relevant examples, and what you want people to take away. Talks can include audience interaction, facilitated discussion, or Q&A.

Formats

Keynotes, typically 45–60 minutes

Leadership and team offsite presentations

Strategic and executive briefings

Fireside chats and panel discussions

Available in person, in Australia and internationally, with live-online presentations and briefings on request.

Looking for workshops and multi-session development programs? Explore

Leadership & Communication

Bring a fresh perspective to your next event.

Tell me about your event, audience, proposed date, and what you want people to leave thinking or doing differently.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS

FOR EDUCATION PROVIDERS

FOR INDIVIDUALS