Leadership is about creating the space for others to thrive, not being the smartest
Trudy MacDonald is a top-rated keynote speaker, business leader, and trusted advisor who specialises in people, performance, and leadership. She is known for her ability to engage, inspire, and drive meaningful change in the way leaders think and act.
With over two decades of experience working with senior leaders and organisations across Australia and globally, Trudy brings a rare blend of commercial insight, practical tools, and real-world experience to every stage she steps onto.
As Managing Director of TalentCode HR, she partners with executive teams to unlock performance through leadership capability, strategic clarity, and high-performance cultures.
Trudy’s keynotes consistently receive outstanding feedback for being both thought-provoking and actionable. Her sessions combine powerful storytelling with pragmatic insights, challenging audiences to think differently and equipping them to lead with confidence in today’s complex business environment.
Whether speaking on leadership, accountability, strategy, or culture, Trudy delivers with energy, authenticity, and impact — leaving audiences motivated and ready to take action.
Talking Points
The Accountability Edge: Leading High-Performance Teams
Unlock the power of accountability to drive team success. The Accountability Edge: Leading High-Performance Teams
Leadership thrives on trust, clarity, and accountability. This keynote challenges leaders to redefine accountability—not as blame, but as a catalyst for growth. Attendees will gain actionable insights to inspire ownership, strengthen team cohesion, and drive performance under pressure.
Redefining Accountability – Balance accountability and empathy to empower teams.
Clarity as a Performance Driver – Align roles and objectives for team success.
Trust as the Foundation – Build resilient, high-performing teams that excel under pressure.
Light the Fire: Engage, Motivate, and Reward for Lasting Success
Create an engaged, high-energy workplace that thrives.Light the Fire: Engage, Motivate, and Reward for Lasting Success
Great leaders don’t just ignite motivation—they sustain it. This keynote explores how to foster deep engagement, build emotional connections, and use recognition to fuel long-term success.
Inspiring Performance – Foster deep emotional connections and purpose-driven engagement.
Impactful Recognition – Design rewards that truly resonate and drive excellence.
Sustaining Momentum – Prioritise well-being and resilience to prevent burnout and build lasting success.
Pay to Perform: Unlocking the Power of Remuneration and Incentives
Strategic pay and incentives to drive results.Pay to Perform: Unlocking the Power of Remuneration and Incentives
Compensation isn’t just about paying people—it’s about shaping behavior, performance, and loyalty. This keynote unpacks the strategic use of pay and incentives to attract, motivate, and retain top talent.
Smart Pay Strategies – Align salaries with performance and business goals.
Incentives That Work – Motivate teams with creative, results-driven rewards.
Retention Through Fairness – Build loyalty with equitable and competitive pay structures.
Build the Future: Cultivating Leadership for Tomorrow’s Success
Empower future leaders and build a legacy of success.Build the Future: Cultivating Leadership for Tomorrow’s Success
The best leaders don’t just lead—they develop others to lead. This keynote explores how to identify, nurture, and empower future leaders, embedding leadership growth into an organisation’s DNA.
Identifying Talent – Spot and cultivate individuals with leadership potential.
Empowering Emerging Leaders – Equip them with the skills to drive innovation and adaptability.
Creating a Leadership Legacy – Establish pathways for continuous growth and long-term success.
Generations, Hybrid Work & Leadership: Navigating Change and Building Engagement
Overview:Generations, Hybrid Work & Leadership: Navigating Change and Building Engagement
The modern workplace is evolving rapidly — with five generations working side by side and hybrid work models becoming the new norm. This shift brings both opportunities and challenges around engagement, burnout, communication, and accountability. Leaders must rethink how they connect with, motivate, and lead diverse teams in a flexible environment.
In this keynote, Trudy dives deep into the realities of generational differences and what they mean for leadership today. She addresses the challenges of hybrid work, including the risks of burnout and disengagement, and offers practical strategies for fostering trust, connection, and accountability — whether teams are together in the office or working remotely.
Key Takeaways:
How generational values and communication styles impact team dynamics
Recognising and addressing burnout early in hybrid and flexible work settings
Practical leadership approaches to build psychological safety and trust remotely
Creating clear expectations and accountability in a flexible work environment
Tools for maintaining engagement and high performance despite physical distance
AI Disruption & The Future of Work: Leading People Through Change
Artificial Intelligence is accelerating workplace disruption at an unprecedented pace. While many focus on the technology itself, the real challenge lies in leading people through change and maintaining a culture that thrives amid uncertainty.AI Disruption & The Future of Work: Leading People Through Change
In this keynote, Trudy explores how leaders can prepare their teams for the coming AI-driven transformation. She highlights the crucial role culture plays in embracing innovation while preserving humanity at work. Leaders will learn how to foster adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning — essential capabilities for future-proofing organisations in a rapidly changing landscape.
Key Takeaways:
Demystifying AI’s impact on jobs, leadership, and organisational design
Why culture and people remain the most important assets in an AI world
Leading with empathy and clarity during technological disruption
Building team resilience and a growth mindset to embrace ongoing change
How to create a culture of innovation and continuous learning
Audio
Just wanted to reach out and thank you for your sessions last week. The feedback has been amazing! You have lit a fire in some of our really long-standing store managers and I am so happy to ... keep reading Swarovski
There are speakers, and then there are speakers who light up a room, who hold an audience in the palm of their hands, who mesmerise, and who provide substance and content that makes a real difference. Trudy is one of ’those’ speakers. I was recently MC at The CEO Institute Summit Queensland 2024 and had the honour of introducing Trudy as one of the outstanding speakers that day. It was both a pleasure to introduce her and a pleasure to watch her bring her topic to life and captivate the audience. It was relevant, timely, informational, interesting and easy to understand. Well done Trudy! You are an excellent presenter.
Thanks again for yesterday it was such a fantastic event. Everyone said that you were the best speaker they had ever seen! It was absolutely amazing and the feedback from our members and everyone was so positive about the practical and powerful takeaways.
