Learning how to be human again is the most urgent leadership work of our time.
Katie Iles helps audiences decode people - fast - and lead with clarity, courage and cultural intelligence.
She is a sought-after keynote speaker who has spoken to thousands of leaders across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. A recognised voice on generational intelligence and rehumanising leadership, Katie delivers punchy, disarming and deeply human insights that address the real pain points and transform teams.
With 20 years’ experience across social research, strategic communication, cultural change and leadership development, she has worked with national brands, public agencies, high-growth startups and global networks - from AusPost and NAB to green tech ventures and grassroots movements.
Her rare blend of systems thinking, narrative psychology and sharp pragmatism helps organisations cut through complexity and connect with what truly drives behaviour, trust and performance.
A pioneer in Generational Intelligence, Katie has spent over a decade researching how different generations experience leadership, identity and change - and what great leaders must do next. Her true strength lies in distilling complexity into clarity: shifting mindsets, reframing influence and giving people language that sticks.
Katie’s delivery blends provocation with warmth, humour with precision, and strategy with story. Audiences leave her sessions laughing, thinking and seeing their people with new eyes.
Talking Points
Generation Human: How to lead when every generation is struggling - and why the old playbook no longer works.
From “entitled” Gen Z to “burnt out” Millennials, “cynical” Gen X to “can’t-let-go” Boomers — today’s workplaces are caught in a generational blame loop. But what if the friction isn’t about age at all? What if it’s about outdated systems, unmet human needs, and broken cultural trust?Generation Human: How to lead when every generation is struggling - and why the old playbook no longer works.
In this powerful keynote, Katie Iles reframes generational dysfunction as a deeper leadership challenge — and equips audiences with the tools to rebuild trust, coherence and connection across every age and stage. Backed by cutting-edge research and two decades of frontline insight, this talk is a wake-up call for leaders ready to trade stereotypes for strategy, and conflict for cohesion.
Rehumanise: Leading with trust, story and courage in an age of AI
AI is rewriting the rules of work - but it’s also eroding trust, fragmenting culture, and accelerating burnout. In this provocative and humanising keynote, Katie Iles goes beyond the hype to unpack the real leadership challenge of our time: how to stay human and find meaning when everything else is becoming automated.Rehumanise: Leading with trust, story and courage in an age of AI
Grounded in neuroscience, behavioural psychology, and the latest data on AI’s social impact across generations, this talk equips leaders with the tools to build trust, lead with story, and foster human connection in tech-saturated environments. If your audience is navigating change, trust breakdown or hybrid fatigue, this is the keynote they need.
The Wonder Effect: Why awe is the most underused productivity hack of our time
Burnout. Disengagement. Cognitive overload. Today’s leaders and teams are often exhausted, cynical and disconnected. And the usual fixes aren’t working. The Wonder Effect: Why awe is the most underused productivity hack of our time
In this fascinating, uplifting and research-backed keynote, Katie Iles reveals why awe, curiosity and a capacity for wonder are not woo woo soft skills but performance accelerators. Drawing on neuroscience, leadership theory and real-world application, this talk shows how cultivating “micro moments of wonder” can enhance creativity, expand time perception, reduce stress and create more human, generative and high-performing cultures.
Talkin' Bout My Generation
Katie is one of the sharpest and most engaging conversationalists in the country and loves nothing more than sitting down for a no-holds barred chat about people, culture and generational fault lines. This is a refreshing, gritty and relatable moment - via panel, Q&A or round table chat, that will add breathing space to a busy conference schedule and a stimulating conversation starter for post-conference drinks.
Talkin' Bout My Generation
The People's MC
Katie Iles is one of Australia’s most dynamic and insightful hosts for conferences, summits and leadership events. With a background in journalism, strategic communications and executive facilitation, she brings a rare ability to think at speed, hold complexity, and draw the golden thread between big ideas, audience energy and cultural resonance.The People's MC
Katie’s natural curiosity, storytelling instinct and warm authority make her an exceptional emcee, moderator and interviewer — whether holding a room of 50 or 5,000.
She’s known for asking the questions people really want answered: sharp, respectful and surgically on-point. As a host, she connects the dots between speakers, pulls through key themes, and brings coherence and energy to every session.
Katie’s style suits conferences and summits where content matters, people matter, and clarity matters. She is particularly effective with leadership, strategy, culture, education, public sector, innovation and social impact audiences — where intelligence and tone must be expertly held.
Having hosted national forums, curated panels, and facilitated everything from executive retreats to multi-day public events, Katie is trusted not just as a voice on stage, but as a strategic partner behind the scenes. She collaborates closely with organisers to ensure the narrative arc of the day lands with clarity, connection and impact.
Gen Z & The Future Of Work
Katie presents the latest research, trends and insights on Generation Z: the fastest growing employee sector in Australia and often the most misunderstood. Who are they really and what are they revealing about the future of work? (Presented in partnership with Hello Clarity.)
Gen Z & The Future Of Work
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Katie Iles | Saxton Speakers
Katie Iles is a sought-after keynote speaker who has spoken to thousands of leaders across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. A recognised voice on generational intelligence and rehumanising leadership, Katie delivers punchy, disarming and deeply human insights that address the real pain points and transform teams.Katie wowed our customers at a Breakfast event we held in Hobart this week. This was the second event we booked Katie for in the last couple of months, based on the positive reaction to the ... keep reading AusPost
Whip smart, stupidly insightful, room energising and just downright funny, Katie Iles combines social, cultural and multi-generational commentary with actionable insights and razor sharp provocations around human behaviour and leadership. She’s one of the very best I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot.
It is extremely rare to listen to someone of the quality of Katie Iles. Gifted with a profound knowledge of her subject, she is able to present in an informed and engaging style that captivates her audiences. Katie packages wisdom and insight with practical suggestion and humour.
To say [her] sessions were a highlight of our conference is an understatement. Our delegates were so impressed with Katie; not just her depth of research-based knowledge, but her impeccable delivery as well. I would not hesitate to recommend Katie if you are organising a conference and want to include a session on generational change, leadership or workplace culture.
Katie Iles is a consummate professional. She is well informed, articulate and deeply empathetic, making her presentations accessible, enjoyable and impactful. You will love Katie's manner and the delightful way with which she will interact with your clients, employees or colleagues. I wholeheartedly recommend her to you.
