Human resources is no longer limited to hiring, compliance, and internal policy. Today’s HR leaders are shaping how organizations grow, adapt, retain talent, and compete. According to SHRM’s 2026 HR Trends, HR priorities are directly tied to business strategy, operational efficiency, competitive advantage, profitability, talent retention, and other measurable outcomes. Deloitte’s 2026 Global Human Capital Trends also points to a major shift in the world of work, where organizations must adapt continuously, move with speed, and lead with a stronger human edge.
The speakers on this list were selected based on current speaker research, recent and upcoming event activity, and direct relevance to the most important HR conversations of 2026, including workforce transformation, leadership, culture, AI, employee experience, and retention. With more than 20 years of experience booking keynote talent across industries, the Mollie Plotkin Group identified HR keynote speakers who bring timely insight for organizations navigating the future of work.
Alex Banayan
HR teams trying to build more connected cultures can use Alex Banayan’s work around storytelling, resilience, and high performance. His Storytelling for Connection Workshop teaches the VISTA Storytelling Framework, with applications that include executive leadership, client communications, investor relations, human resources, and company culture. His bestselling book The Third Door also gives audiences a practical way to think about persistence, opportunity creation, and breakthrough growth. His ChannelCon 2026 listing connects that message to leaders focused on business growth, talent, and technology change.
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Cassandra Worthy
Human resources and organizational leaders turn to Cassandra Worthy for help leading through change without losing energy, productivity, or engagement. Her Change Enthusiasm framework gives audiences a way to process disruption, build resilience, and move forward with more ownership. For HR audiences, that makes her especially relevant to workforce transformation, culture change, and employee motivation. Her AASPA Annual Conference listing and Speakers at The IMA Accounting & Finance Conference reflect the range of audiences engaging with her change leadership message.
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Cory Richards
People teams focused on psychological safety, mental health, and resilience can connect Cory Richards’ story to the human side of performance. His work is especially useful for HR audiences looking at how pressure, uncertainty, and personal wellbeing shape leadership and team effectiveness. Rather than treating resilience as a slogan, he brings it into conversations about trust, risk, recovery, and sustained performance. His Morning Speaker Series with Cory Richards listing highlights the continued relevance of that message for audiences seeking a deeper conversation about resilience and perspective.
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Keren Tsuk
HR leaders navigating digital overload and workplace disconnection can use Dr. Keren Tsuk’s perspective on mindful leadership. Her background includes organization consulting and human resource management, which connects her work directly to culture, employee experience, and leadership behavior. She helps audiences examine how leaders can build more present, connected, and sustainable organizations as technology reshapes work. Her Women in Tech Global Conference 2026 appearance connects that message to teams thinking about leadership, inclusion, and the future of work.
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Michael Laidler
HR teams dealing with burnout, engagement, and pressure can use Michael Laidler’s practical approach to resilience and leadership. His Failure Fuels Growth™ framework helps audiences reframe setbacks, strengthen accountability, and perform with more consistency during stress. His work connects with audiences across HR, healthcare, tech, manufacturing, and construction, giving him a flexible lens for workplace performance and employee wellbeing. His event listing and MASCA keynote speakers listing point to the practical demand for his message among organizations focused on performance, resilience, and people development.
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Scott Tillema
HR and people leaders focused on communication can learn from Scott Tillema’s negotiation-based approach to trust. His work translates hostage negotiation principles into practical tools for listening, de-escalation, influence, and relationship-building. Those skills matter for HR teams handling conflict, leadership alignment, employee relations, and culture repair. His No More Bad Events and A Hostage Negotiator Takes the Stage listings reinforce how his message fits organizations that need clearer, calmer, and more effective communication.
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Jay Gubrud
HR professionals managing cross-functional change can use Jay Gubrud’s perspective on business alignment and leadership communication. His profile connects his insights across departments, including human resources, which makes his work relevant for organizations trying to reduce silos and improve execution. For people leaders, that means a keynote can support conversations about accountability, collaboration, and how teams move in the same direction. His Schedule at ATRA Powertrain Expo listing places that message in a business setting where operations, workforce, and leadership concerns often overlap.
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Laila Ali
HR audiences focused on leadership, confidence, and employee motivation can connect with Laila Ali’s message of discipline and self-belief. Her listed audience history includes the Society of Human Resource Managers, giving her a direct connection to HR programming. She brings the perspective of a world-class athlete and entrepreneur to conversations about resilience, personal standards, and performing under pressure. Her International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame “Night of the Stars 3” keynote listing also speaks to her relevance for audiences focused on achievement, visibility, and women’s leadership.
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Lee Rubin
HR teams looking at culture and team performance can draw from Lee Rubin’s direct human resources leadership experience. He spent more than 15 years leading teams in Human Resources departments at Fortune 500 companies, which gives his work a practical foundation for people leaders. His message connects leadership, accountability, and team habits to the everyday work of building better employee experiences. His February 2026 Inland Marine Underwriters Association listing shows how that team performance message continues to fit professional audiences beyond the HR function itself.
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Sol Rashidi
HR leaders preparing employees for AI-driven change can use Sol Rashidi’s C-suite perspective on technology adoption. Her AI workforce topics explicitly connect leadership and HR to shifting roles, expectations, and readiness. That makes her relevant for people teams trying to reduce confusion, improve trust, and help employees understand how AI changes work without losing the human side of leadership. Her AI Trailblazer Sol Rashidi Announced as Keynote at ISE 2026 listing connects that message to organizations thinking seriously about enterprise technology and workforce transformation.
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Thomas Kolditz
HR directors responsible for leadership development can use Thomas Kolditz’s research on leading under pressure. His background includes work as a leadership and human resources policy analyst in the Pentagon, and his topics connect directly to HR directors and organizational leaders. Programs like In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended On It, Hope Is Not a Method, and Measure What Matters: Innovate with OKRs help audiences strengthen trust, decision-making, accountability, and measurable execution. For HR teams building leadership pipelines, his work gives a practical model for developing leaders before crisis arrives.
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Tiffani Bova
HR leaders working across business functions can use Tiffani Bova’s growth and customer experience lens to connect people strategy with performance. Her keynote takeaways include aligning HR, finance, operations, and frontline teams around shared KPIs. That makes her a useful voice for organizations trying to break down internal friction, improve employee experience, and connect workforce decisions to measurable business outcomes. Her Igniting Excellence 2026 listing with The WIT Network reinforces how her message fits audiences focused on growth, leadership, and organizational alignment.
Book Tiffani Bova
Human resources events need speakers who can connect people strategy to the realities of modern work. These speakers address HR from different angles, including leadership development, employee wellbeing, AI readiness, communication, resilience, culture, and cross-functional alignment. For planners building an HR conference, internal leadership meeting, people team retreat, or employee experience program, the right speaker can give audiences practical tools they can apply after the event. To book a human resources speaker through The Mollie Plotkin Group, contact The Mollie Plotkin Group at booking@mollieplotkingroup.com or call 215-995-0905 to connect with an agent.