Meet David
Guiding Leaders from Artificial Intelligence to Authentic Leadership
Dr. David Burkus is one of the world’s leading business thinkers on leadership, teamwork, and the future of work. A best-selling author and award-winning researcher, David helps leaders navigate the complex challenges and extraordinary opportunities artificial intelligence brings to modern leadership.
His books on business and leadership have been translated into dozens of languages and are used by leaders around the globe. His insights have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, The Financial Times, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings.
A former business school professor, David now advises leaders at Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven organizations including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. His keynotes blend cutting-edge research with compelling storytelling, offering practical strategies for integrating ai and leadership without losing trust, empathy, or direction.
In a world where algorithms are accelerating everything, David reminds us that leadership still drives performance—and those who embrace both AI and authentic leadership will lead the future of work.
In a world being reshaped by machines, David’s message is clear: The future of work still runs on people. And the leaders who understand how to combine AI with authentic human leadership will build the best teams ever.
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Bestsellers
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Ted Talk Views
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One of the world’s leading business thinkers
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Keynote Speeches

Bring David To Your Event!
AI And Leadership Keynote Speaker Topics
Testimonials
“We loved David’s presentation and delivery. He’s a genius. He paid attention to everything and incorporated it into his presentation.”
- SACRS
“David got rave reviews.”
- NOSCO
“David was awesome and extremely engaged with our group. We really enjoyed his time spent with us on stage and off the stage.”
- NRECA
“What I loved about his presentation was its intellectual underpinnings. That depth made his rise above the average motivational speech. And our Academy participants loved it."
- Phi Theta Kappa
“David received very high ratings. He clearly had done his homework and that allowed folks to make those direct connections to their own work.”
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
“David was fantastic!”
- American Chemical Society
“David delivered were engaging, fun and meaningful. He is a great partner to work with and is always looking for a way to bring more value.”
- Amdocs
"I couldn’t have asked for a better keynote speaker for our leadership conference."
- Synovus Bank
"It was such a pleasure to work with David. We got fantastic ratings for your session.”
- National Association of Manufacturers
"The team and I appreciated all David did to understand our challenges and tailor his talk to meet the needs of our workforce. David provided us with tips and practices we can easily implement."
- NASA
“David was extremely well-received. His content connected with the audience and they were engaged on another level.”
- Equinix
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Evidence-Based yet Applicable
David’s keynotes focus on synthesizing research from organizational psychology into practical, accessible takeaways—especially as leaders adapt their approach in the age of AI and leadership transformation.
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Entertaining and Enlightening
David is one of the world’s leading business thinkers, but also a powerful storyteller who understands that audiences need to be emotionally engaged and inspired—particularly as leadership itself evolves in response to artificial intelligence.
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Customized and Tailored
David and his team work with you to better understand your industry and organization and build a customized keynote tailored to the leadership challenges your team is facing—whether it’s navigating disruption, guiding teams through change, or rethinking leadership in an AI-driven workplace.
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An Experience and a Journey
The learning doesn’t stop when David steps off stage. Our Aftercare program provides additional content and resources to help leaders put ideas into practice—including strategies to lead effectively in a world shaped by AI and leadership demands.
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Frictionless and (even) Fun
David and his team know how hard it is to run a successful event. That’s why we work to make every interaction as frictionless and fun as possible, from contracts to billing to preparation and follow-up. It’s David’s job not to add to your job.
5Reasons
To Book David
David’s Process
Prepare
In addition to David’s independent research, we’ll schedule as many conference calls with key stakeholders as needed to determine the key outcome objectives and direction for program content—including how your leaders are preparing for the changing landscape of AI and leadership.
Customize
After those calls, David will focus on finding the perfect research insights and takeaways for your specific attendees, event themes, or organizational goals—especially those that address the emerging demands of AI and leadership in your industry.
Deliver
David will deliver a highly customized, energetic, entertaining, interactive, strategic, and results-focused experience. In addition, David will make himself available the day of the event for anything that will deliver extra value, like book signings, Q&A sessions, or receptions.
Reinforce
Unlike many speakers, the learning doesn’t stop after the speech. Each client will receive several articles, videos, and/or books to reinforce learning. We can even film the event for clients to share with attendees afterwards—all at no additional cost. And for organizations focused on AI and leadership, we’ll include additional tools and resources that dive deeper into leading effectively in a tech-driven world.