Award-winning author, keynote speaker & educator

Helping leaders thrive in times of fast-moving change.

Counted among the most in-demand speakers today, Quillstead’s hands-on approach to creative problem-solving turns a routine offsite into an occasion people discuss for years.

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QKIdeas that connect with the room

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QKThe person behind the ideas

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QKA fresh perspective on leadership

Quillstead is a bestselling author, keynote speaker & educator.

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Meet Quillstead.

A four-time award-winning author, founder, keynote speaker and educator, Quillstead is a trusted voice on modern leadership. Drawing on in-depth conversations with 200+ world-class leaders, Quillstead surfaced the habits that reliably produce standout leadership and exceptional results.

Having started and co-built businesses in several sectors, Quillstead brings hard-won experience of guiding people and teams — at work and well beyond it.

A Ph.D. and Certified Speaking Professional, Quillstead has delivered 250+ keynotes and workshops across 12 countries.

More about Quillstead

Recognised internationally

Certified Professional Speaker award Non Fiction Gold Winner Book Awards International Bestseller Award Winner Top 100 Speakers award
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“Quillstead commanded the room from start to finish. Candid stories and sharp thinking left our team closer together — and bolder about chasing new business.”
Mara EllisonJuniper’s Voice
Juniper
Books

Quillstead wrote four #1 NY Times bestsellers on leadership and growing a business.

MINDSET

Starting-Line Journey.

How standout founders grow a company and a reputation — and how you can too.

See details GUIDE

The Clever Playbook.

A clear-eyed guide to exiting your company smoothly and on your terms.

See details CLASSICS

The Honest Business.

A field guide to starting from scratch, told through great founders’ stories.

See details CLASSICS

Partners in Growth.

How to choose a business partner with whom success can endure.

See details
Speaking

Signature keynote topics.

Groundwork for high-performance leadership.

How leaders take teams from checked-out to all-in.

Building a team with a healthy work-life balance.

Down-to-earth ways to build a team with genuine balance.

Trust cuts friction and unlocks clarity & results.

How trust gets built and tracked — and why it needs guarding.

KEYNOTE 1

Groundwork for high-performance leadership.

Yesterday’s leadership manuals fail amid relentless change. Distributed teams, accelerating technology and an always-on culture leave too many people feeling cut off.

This session hands leaders proven insight and hands-on tools that shift teams from disengaged to fully committed.

Audience Takeaways:

  • Why engagement and retention quietly slip
  • How leaders draw out their team’s untapped creativity
  • Habits that keep a healthy team thriving
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Teammates sharing a joyful moment that shows real balance

KEYNOTE 2

Building a healthy work-life balance team.

Bringing work and home life into harmony is demanding, doable and deeply rewarding.

This talk gives leaders the principles for honouring both roles — strong results at work and a healthy team around them.

Audience Takeaways:

  • Fresh strategies for juggling work and family
  • Time-saving principles that actually work
  • Weekly rhythms that protect real balance
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KEYNOTE 3

Trust cuts friction and unlocks clarity, & results.

High trust means crisp decisions and faster teams — less drag, less second-guessing, less need for oversight. When trust erodes, everything decelerates, often in ways leaders miss at first.

This keynote reveals the most reliable ways leaders earn trust — and why it must be defended, above all when pressure mounts.

Audience Takeaways:

  • Where team friction really comes from
  • Why trust decides how fast a team moves
  • How to keep trust strong over time
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Leaders collaborating closely in a trust-building workshop
Reviews

Event planners & readers rate Quillstead highly.

The work-life balance session stole the show — our managers were applying the ideas within days.

Portrait of Amara Osei
Amara OseiBrightloop Events

The genuine article. Magnetic from the opening minute, mixing candid stories with tools that endure.

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Daniel ReyesNexford Labs

Proof that hands-on storytelling wins. I walked out with techniques I put to work the next morning.

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Sofia MarchettiCaldor & Co.

Surpassed everything we hoped for. Sharp, warm and witty — our members still quote that talk.

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Tom BeckerThe Foundry

The simplest booking call of our whole summit. The room stayed full until the final minute — unheard of for us.

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Priya NairJuniper

Reach Quillstead Keynotes.

Now booking engagements for 2026 – 2027