Simon Mainwaring is a brand futurist, global keynote speaker, columnist, podcaster, and bestselling author of We First & Lead With We. He is the founder and CEO of We First, a strategic brand consultancy building brands that exceed the expectations of business, people, and the planet. We First is a Real Leaders’ Top 100 Impact Companies in the US and a B Corp ‘Best For the World’ Honoree.
Simon’s latest book, Lead With We: The Business Revolution that Will Save Our Future (Matt Holt/BenBella) is a Wall Street Journal bestseller, McKinsey Top Business Bestseller on Workplace & Culture; #2 Best Business Book of the Year by Forbes; AXIOM Gold Medalist in the Leadership category; Official Nominee for The Next Big Idea; an American Book Fest Best Books of 2022 finalist; and finalist for International Business Book of the Year.
His first book, We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (Palgrave Macmillan) is a New York Times- & Wall Street Journal bestseller. It was named an Amazon Top Ten Business Book; 800CEORead Top Five Marketing Book; Best Business Marketing Book of the Year by strategy+business; & one of the Top Sustainability Books of the decade by Sustainable Brands.
Simon was ranked among Real Leaders magazine’s “Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World”, was voted a “Top 5 Marketing Speaker” by speaking.com, and was featured on the cover of the National Speaker’s Magazine. He has keynoted at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, SXSW, TEDxSF, Conscious Capitalism, Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson, World 50, Sustainable Brands, SOCAP, Social Good Summit, National Speakers Association, National Press Club, The Penn Club of NY, & the UN Foundation. He’s delivered keynotes at companies such as Coca-Cola, Heineken, General Motors, VF, Samsung, VSP Global, SAP, Gucci, JP Morgan Chase, Timberland, VW, & the NHL.
He is a Thinkers360 Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Climate Change; a Real Leaders Top 100 Visionary Leader; was interim CMO at TOMS; a finalist for the Conscious Company Leadership Awards; received the MAKE CHANGE ‘Conscious Leadership’ Award; and a finalist for Global Australian of the Year. He was a Jury Member for the U.S. One Show for Sustainable Development, a Featured Expert Speaker and Jury Member for the Cannes Lions Festival for the Sustainable Development Goals, Real Leaders Impact Awards judge, and is a C-suite Advisor to purpose-led business leaders.
Simon hosts the influential “Lead With We” podcast and is a prolific columnist for the Forbes.com CMO Network. He has been featured in BBC World News, Bloomberg Beta, Cheddar TV, CNBC, NPR, The Guardian, New York Post, Authority Magazine, Leader to Leader, Advertising Age, Fortune, Inc., Management Today Magazine, Thrive Global, Success, Entrepreneur, AMA, Forbes, and Fast Company.
Simon studied Law and Fine Arts at St Paul’s College, University of Sydney and spent 15 years as a writer, Creative Director, and Worldwide Creative Director at global advertising agencies such as DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, Wieden & Kennedy, winning awards at all major festivals.
Talking Points
Making Sustainability Pay: Turning Purpose into Tangible Business Value
Sustainability is no longer a moral accessory. Making Sustainability Pay: Turning Purpose into Tangible Business Value
It’s a strategy for growth, resilience and long term relevance. In this keynote, Simon shows leaders how to transform purpose into a performance engine that drives customer loyalty, strengthens brand equity, and unlocks measurable commercial value. Drawing on decades advising global brands, he provides a clear, actionable roadmap for turning intent into results and competing in a world where trust and transparency shape market advantage.
Key Takeaways
• How to translate sustainability into revenue, cost efficiencies and risk reduction
• ROI frameworks that secure buy in from boards, executives and investors
• Ways to position purpose as a differentiator that strengthens trust and market relevance
• Practical steps for embedding impact thinking into strategy and operations
• Tools for aligning teams around shared value creation
Clear, Confident Sustainability Communication in a High Scrutiny Environment
In a climate of rising scepticism, organisations must communicate sustainability with clarity, confidence and proof. Simon breaks down how to tell your impact story without falling into greenwashing or retreating into silence. This keynote equips leaders and communication teams with a principled, practical approach to shaping narratives that inspire trust, withstand scrutiny, and unite stakeholders behind meaningful action.Clear, Confident Sustainability Communication in a High Scrutiny Environment
Key Takeaways
• How to communicate impact with strength, simplicity, and accuracy
• Ways to align internal teams so risk, ESG and communications move as one
• Language structures that resonate across customers, employees, and investors
• Principles for avoiding greenwashing and maintaining credibility
• A narrative architecture for long term trust and engagement
Collective Genius: Building Collaborative Cultures That Thrive Through Change
No organisation wins alone. The most resilient and future ready teams are those that tap into their collective intelligence. Simon reveals how leaders can build cultures where collaboration is instinctive, creativity scales and people feel energised to contribute. Drawing on the transformation work he leads in his workshops, he offers practical ways to foster unity, unlock innovation, and turn disruption into momentum.Collective Genius: Building Collaborative Cultures That Thrive Through Change
Key Takeaways
• How to design cultures where people collaborate naturally and confidently
• Cultural levers that accelerate innovation, agility, and shared ownership
• How to engage employees, partners, and customers as co creators of growth
• Signals, rituals, and behaviours that strengthen culture during change
• Practical tools used in Simon’s workshops to build high trust, high performance teams
Story That Drives ROI: How Purpose Led Narratives Build Stronger Brands
Purpose led storytelling should do more than inspire. It should build reputation, attract customers, and drive conversion. Simon shows how to bridge the gap between impact and brand performance using narrative structures that are creative, credible, and commercially effective. He combines storytelling craft with data driven discipline to help organisations turn proof into momentum and purpose into a market advantage.Story That Drives ROI: How Purpose Led Narratives Build Stronger Brands
Key Takeaways
• How to turn sustainability and impact data into compelling customer ready stories
• A narrative structure that strengthens brand trust and drives behaviour
• How to integrate insights, AI, and co creation into content that evolves with audiences
• Ways to avoid overclaiming while still telling bold, energising stories
• Story craft tools your team can use immediately
AI With Purpose: Using Intelligent Systems to Strengthen People, Performance, and Impact
AI is reshaping organisations at speed, but the winners will be the ones who adopt it with clarity and conscience. Simon explains how AI can amplify human judgement, streamline operations, and enhance stakeholder experiences while maintaining accountability and trust. His approach connects technology adoption with culture, leadership and long term value, offering a simple, human centred way forward.AI With Purpose: Using Intelligent Systems to Strengthen People, Performance, and Impact
Key Takeaways
• How AI can support better decision making and operational improvement
• Principles for adopting AI in a responsible, trust building way
• How to protect and elevate the human strengths that set organisations apart
• Tools for measuring impact and managing new risks with confidence
• Frameworks to help leaders guide teams through AI enabled change
Leadership Workshops & Masterclasses with Simon Mainwaring
3 hour sessions, virtual or in personLeadership Workshops & Masterclasses with Simon Mainwaring
Simon’s workshops give leadership teams the space, structure, and guidance to turn future ambitions into present day capability. Blending strategic clarity with practical facilitation, these sessions help leaders strengthen alignment, sharpen judgement, and build cultures that perform under pressure. The experience is hands on, energising, and designed to create lasting internal momentum.
Workshop Outcomes
• Clear alignment between purpose, strategy, and daily leadership choices
• Practical pathways for turning sustainability into measurable value creation
• Tools that build trust, creativity, and accountability across the organisation
• Confidence and clarity around human agency, governance, and judgement in an AI enabled environment
These workshops pair seamlessly with Simon’s keynotes, giving organisations both the inspiration to shift and the practical foundation to follow through.
Video
Simon Mainwaring | Saxton Speakers
Simon Mainwaring is the founder and CEO of We First, a creative consultancy that builds purpose-driven brands. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Business Alliance for the Future and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London. He contributes to The Guardian, Forbes, and Huffington Post on purposeful branding and storytelling.Leading the Future: How to Stay Ahead in Today's Disruptive Marketplace | Simon Mainwaring
The S&P 500 list is turning over faster than ever, inspiring fear in the hearts and minds of executives trying to build their company's future. To address this, brands must attract and retain top talent while maximizing their productivity. They must foster cultures of purpose, ingenuity and innovation. They must empower their organization to match the mobility of the marketplace and, better yet, outpace it. In short, to triumph over disruption brands can't merely participate in the future, they must create it.Winning Over Today's Consumer: Capturing the Attention, Loyalty | Simon Mainwaring
Reaching today's consumer is harder than ever. Their expectations, behaviours and technologies are constantly changing. This makes it difficult to capture their attention and earn their loyalty over the long term. But what if there was a way to make your target audience feel like part of your organization instead of a customer? To motivate them to want to build your business and reputation? To use their own social media channels to share your purpose, products and impact?From Engagement to Action: Mobilizing Employees to Drive Culture, Innovation & Growth | Simon Mainwaring
Every employer wants their people to see work as more than a job. To bring their best selves, skills and attitude to what they do. To actively contribute to a culture that constantly challenges the status quo and drives innovation from the inside out. So, how do you attract such people to your company? How do you inspire them to play this role? How do you reward them to create a perpetuating culture that guarantees long-term relevant, growth and leadership?21st Century Marketing: Combining Humanity & Technology too Accelerate Business Growth | Simon Mainwaring
The future of marketing is being driven by new consumer expectations, disruptive technology and younger demographics. Constantly emerging, morphing and migrating real time through digital, social and mobile technologies.GLC Movement Making @ VF Corp (2018) | Simon Mainwaring
Simon Mainwaring is founder/CEO of We First, a strategic consultancy accelerating growth and impact for purpose-driven brands. He's a member of the Steering Committee of Sustainable Brands, the Forbes Business Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.Simon is an incredible public speaker and a master at his craft. He understands the intersection between purpose, people, and profit powered by years of experience working with some of the m ... keep reading Glassdoor
The Harvard Business School Association of Boston and We First engaged in a year-long collaboration to put together a series of panels that took a deep dive into purpose and, importantly, its specific practice around the world. We were looking for content that was dynamic, actionable and differentiated, and We First delivered. The panelists were world class, Simon was an outstanding moderator and the response has been fantastic. I highly recommend We First as an exceptional content and training provider.
The Accessories Council was honored to have Simon present at the 5th Anniversary of our Business Workshop. Our Business Workshop is intended to inspire, be thought provoking and encourage our members to position their businesses for success. Simon was absolutely an inspiration! He was engaging and provided our team with exceptional information. I was impressed with the amount of time he and his team spent preparing for the session. It was clear they wanted to understand our audience and tailor his presentation accordingly. Simon also volunteered to come back for another session to answer any questions our attendees had. We had 3 packed days of speakers and Simon's presentation was memorable, very highly rated. We feel most fortunate that he was a part of our 2020 event!
Simon led two dynamic sessions at Social Innovation Summit, providing a unique perspective that blended purpose-driven work with the power of branding. He was engaging, insightful, and an incredible thought leader in how we can drive impact through business.
Simon Mainwaring provided a stirring keynote for the 2nd Annual Nonprofit Board Summit sponsored by the Harvard Business School Association of Boston. His presentation on ""Building a Sustainable Movement provided both a reality-check and a call to action for nonprofit board members and senior staff. Simon started by highlighting the competitive environment for both mindshare and resources, and the increasingly blurry lines between nonprofits and for-profit social enterprises, and then provided a roadmap for building a sustainable movement with examples of how successful organizations have executed such strategies. From defining the organization's purpose, to infusing it into the culture, to co-creating a broader community of believers and ultimately influencing societal values, he brought a fresh vision of how to create and communicate impact, the holy grail that most nonprofits seek.
Simon Mainwaring's presentations to the Conscious Capitalism community are insightful and powerful. They provide not only inspirational guidance or how to get through this challenging period, but also a roadmap for how business leaders can take action to do so.
Simon Mainwaring is an incredibly effective speaker motivating his listeners to fully engage in examining their company's purpose and and how they share their story. Regardless of company size, his message inspires all to peel back the layers and breathe renewed life into the soul of their corporate values.
Simon Mainwaring was a valuable addition to the inaugural Sustainable Brands 2016 Sydney Conference. He brought with him a wealth of knowledge from previous Sustainable Brands events in San Diego which helped the audience to understand the ethos of the conference objectives. I would highly recommend Simon as both a Keynote presenter and Workshop facilitator.
I can't express how thrilled we are about your work with our leadership team today. The buzz is still going... Community service IS about the bottom line... Support the mission, tell your story, empower the people... Just a few buzz phrases I am hearing. I appreciate your time and thoughtful presentation today and look forward to continuing this great work.
Patagonia has always valued story-telling, but knowing you can always teach a old dog new tricks, we invited Simon to speak to us and share his insights about the larger context of why telling stories is central to any brand's connection to its customers, as well as share his advanced knowledge of the tools in the social media box.
