Sep 22 2025
2025 IAAO Annual Conference – Keynote Speaker Jon Dorenbos – Orlando, FL
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Adam Pacifico is a qualified barrister, former police officer, and partner at Heidrick & Struggles whose dynamic keynotes explore Human-Centered Leadership, modern influence, and high-performance culture in an AI-driven world.
With experience ranging from covert policing squads to courtroom prosecution and Fortune-level executive coaching, Adam Pacifico brings a truly singular perspective to leadership. A qualified barrister, former Metropolitan Police detective, and current partner at Heidrick & Struggles, Adam is redefining how leaders adapt, connect, and thrive amidst unprecedented change. His Human-Centered Leadership framework—developed from over 150,000 data points and 200+ podcast interviews—helps teams leverage their most powerful asset: the human being. Adam Pacifico is available to be booked for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Adam Pacifico’s fees.
Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at (215) 995-0905 to book Adam Pacifico for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.
The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field. So whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.
After earning his law degree from the University of Manchester, Adam Pacifico began his career as a criminal barrister, prosecuting and defending in the UK’s most complex courtrooms. Midway through his legal career, he made an unconventional pivot—becoming a police officer with the Metropolitan Police. He served for six years, spending four years on covert squads targeting gangs, robberies, and narcotics. These formative experiences shaped Adam’s belief in leadership as an intensely human endeavor, where clarity, courage, and connection matter most.
Today, Adam is a partner at Heidrick & Struggles in London, where he advises the world’s top organizations—including Google, Microsoft, GSK, Coca-Cola, Rolls-Royce, and Mastercard—on high-performance leadership. He is co-author of the bestselling The Leader’s Secret Code, which decodes the seven beliefs and fourteen motivators that drive the world’s most successful leaders.
Adam’s globally ranked podcast, The Leadership Enigma, now in its 230+ episode run, has earned listeners in over 100 countries and won Leadership Podcast of the Year in 2024. Guests have included Fortune 10 executives, elite athletes, Special Forces operators, and TED speakers, all contributing to Adam’s deep well of research and real-world insight.
Adam’s signature keynote, “Lead Like a Human,” explores the eight components of Human-Centered Leadership—showing audiences how trust, empathy, purpose, and presence now matter more than credentials or title. In an era of rapid AI advancement and post-pandemic disruption, Adam argues that being human has become a leader’s greatest advantage.
His keynotes are anything but passive: using storytelling, media from podcast interviews, and interactive moments, Adam turns research into action and complexity into clarity.
Adam has delivered to over 60,000 people globally across FTSE 100, S&P 500, and Fortune-listed firms. He’s spoken at Cambridge University’s Global Executive MBA program, regularly contributes to podcasts and media, and remains a member of the prestigious Red Lion Chambers, whose ranks include 25 King’s Counsel.
Find out how to hire Adam Pacifico to appear at your next event. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about Adam Pacifico’s availability and cost. When booking Adam Pacifico for an event, we need to know the type of venue and location the event will take place. Adam Pacifico is a popular choice for corporate events, private events, and virtual events. So, you can click the Check Availability button or contact us and an MPG Adam Pacifico booking agent will get back to you within 48 hours.
How much to book Adam Pacifico depends on the type of event. So, the cost to hire Adam Pacifico for corporate or private events is available by contacting a Mollie Plotkin Group Agent. Notably, Adam Pacifico is available for conferences, festivals, private parties, and events. Just contact the Mollie Plotkin Group and tell the booking agent the proposed date, time, and location.
Our speakers are in high demand! View their upcoming events.
With increased momentum, concern, and excitement about AI comes an increased need for leaders to be human. More is at stake, more is uncertain, more is expected, and people issues are at the heart of everything we do.
The human being has never been more important. Yet for many, deep human connection and understanding have become secondary to titles, accomplishments, awards, accolades, and letters after our names.
The rise of Human-Centered Leadership is here, and it’s a superpower in a world of constant change.
Drawing from over 150,000 data points of research and over 200 episodes of his award-winning podcast The Leadership Enigma, Adam’s energy, engaging stories, and interactive exercises bring alive the 8 components of Human-Centered Leadership and how they are being applied across sectors, levels, and geographies to great effect.
CEOs and board members are mostly aligned on which issues will be most significant this year. But both groups have little confidence that their organizations can manage most of those issues.
Our inability, as leaders and as people, to work across geopolitical divides stands in the way of progress on the most important issues.
Adam created The Leadership Enigma podcast as a mitigation and coping mechanism during the global lockdown. Little did he realize that he had unlocked an insatiably curious platform for leaders across the world to share their deeply personal stories of Human-Centered Leadership, which in turn went on to become one of the world’s globally ranked, award-winning podcasts with listeners in over 100 countries.
The assumptions under which our predecessors led no longer ring true. Modern leaders are struggling to find their identities or a personalized leadership model that fits them.
Recognizing that the world in which we currently lead is more ambiguous and chaotic than it has ever been, the Leader’s Secret Code offers a guide into the 7 key beliefs held by top-performing leaders and the corresponding motivators for each. The premise is simple – the way you believe is the way you behave; and as you behave, so you perform.
The Leader’s Secret Code keynote is based on over 150,000 data points of research, including psychometrics and numerous in-depth interviews with leaders from across sectors, levels, and geographies.
Change is constant and the new ways in which we are interconnected mean that leading others effectively looks different from how it looked before. Successful leadership isn’t a secret anymore!
“Adam possesses a rare talent for creating content that not only engages but also deeply resonates with audiences. His passion and creativity shine through in every piece, inspiring and motivating those who experience his work. As Maya Angelou beautifully said, ‘people will forget what you said and what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’, working with Adam means being part of something truly memorable and impactful.” – Dr Daniel Neubauer, UBS, HRBP LATAM International
“Adam is not only a pleasure to work with but also a valuable asset to any team, consistently exceeding expectations with his innovative solutions, collaborative spirit, and unwavering dedication. His contributions have had a significant positive impact on our operations, and we look forward to many more successful endeavours together.” – Nicole Lockhart, Head of Capability, Culture & Operations, GSK
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