KEITH KEATING
KEITH KEATING Connect With Keith
Dr. Keith Keating

Keynote Speaker | Workforce Futurist | Author

Evolve. Or Else.

The organizations that win are the ones that never stop learning.

I help leaders learn differently, adapt faster, and unlock the full potential of their people.

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Trusted By Organizations That Demand Results

  • HSBC
  • AICPA
  • Archwell
  • ConEdison
  • Rocket Mortgage
  • BlueCross BlueShield
  • Intuit
  • ATD
  • Yale University
  • Penn
  • GE HealthCare
  • Pepsi
  • BDO Canada
  • General Motors
  • Hearst
  • LTEN

About

Keith

Learning Saved My Life. Now It's My Life's Work.

I didn't finish 10th grade. The school system never taught me how to learn, so I taught myself. And then I became unstoppable. Twenty-five years later, I've built learning cultures inside some of the world's most demanding organizations: McKinsey, HSBC, Hearst, General Motors and BDO Canada.
More About Keith
Dr. Keith Keating

"If a high school dropout can become unstoppable by learning how to learn, imagine what your organization can become when you build that same capability into every person."

Dr. Keith Keating
25+
Years' Experience
100+
Keynotes
50+
Global Clients

How

Keith Can Help

"Everything I do is designed to help leaders prepare their people for what comes next, unlock human potential, and turn meaningful work into measurable value."

Keynote Speaking Talks That Don't Leave You The Same

Future-Preparing Excellence

The future of work isn't coming. It's here. This keynote gives leaders the blueprint to stop reacting to disruption and start building organizations that outpace it.

Ideal For

  • C-suite leadership forums
  • CHRO and talent summits
  • Organizational transformation events
  • Association conferences

Evolve. Or Else.

L&D has been the most strategic function in the room and the least recognized. This keynote is the roadmap for changing that permanently.

Ideal For

  • L&D conferences
  • CLO and talent leader forums
  • HR leadership events
  • Organizational transformation summits

Hidden Value: Making the Impact Visible

Extraordinary work gets overlooked every day. Not because it lacks value. Because nobody made it visible. This keynote changes that.

Ideal For

  • CHRO and CLO forums
  • L&D conferences
  • Organizational learning summits
  • Workforce development associations

Breaking the Box

Every organization runs on boxes. Labels that start as descriptions and become ceilings. This keynote breaks them.

Ideal For

  • Future of Work Conferences
  • HR & Talent Summits
  • Leadership Development Programs
  • Culture & Transformation Initiatives

Trusted by Leaders Across Industries

  • Lauren Harbert
    Keith has a remarkable ability to challenge assumptions while making complex ideas feel approachable. His keynote encouraged our community to think differently about the future of learning and the value we bring to our organizations, and our audience walked away inspired, energized, and equipped to lead with greater purpose and impact.

    Lauren Harbert

    Executive Director, Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN)

  • Lenore Higgins
    Dr. Keating's keynote quickly became the most talked-about session of the event and ultimately, the single most raved-about Keynote ever at DevLearn. He created an unforgettable start that set the tone for everything that followed.

    Lenore Higgins

    Senior Event Director, CloserStill Media

  • Kristy Callahan
    With his credibility and tactical ways to make us more strategic, I can't tell you how excited I am and inspired by Dr. Keating's keynote.

    Kristy Callahan

    Head of Learning, GE HealthCare

  • Courtney Michener Miller
    Phenomenal. Dr. Keating had amazing experiences that he anchored to within case studies and left us with actionable insights I can't wait to implement.

    Courtney Michener Miller

    Head of Commercial Excellence, AstraZeneca

  • Allyson E. Roote
    Keith's expertise and passion were truly inspiring, and this program has set a new standard for how we position L&D as a strategic partner within our firm.

    Allyson E. Roote

    Vice President, The Bonadio Group

  • Keith was exactly what we needed for our keynote to a room full of Fortune 500 L&D executives. His message and frameworks for creating value set the intention for the day and made a lasting impact.

    Dave Romero

    CEO, Unboxed Technologies

  • Dr. Keating's keynote delivered tremendous value to our team, with so many 'aha' moments and practical applications. Team members reached out afterward to express their gratitude for the investment in them and Keith's ability to make 90 minutes fly by.

    Dr. KimArie Yowell

    Chief Talent Officer, Rocket

  • Keith's keynote struck exactly the right balance between challenging our audience and giving them something practical to take away. It was just the right amount of causing people to pause, question their assumptions, and rethink what they thought they knew.

    Heather Esposito

    Chair, CalCPA

The Books

The Thinking Behind The Work

Kogan Page, 2023

The Trusted Learning Advisor

L&D's evolution starts here

If L&D wants to shape strategy, we have to stop operating like order takers.

I wrote The Trusted Learning Advisor to give learning and talent professionals the tools, skills, and mindset to build credibility, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and connect learning to what the business needs.

Become the strategic partner your organization already needs.

Explore the Book
The Trusted Learning Advisor Award

JetLaunch, 2025

Hidden Value

Great work does not speak for itself. Its value must be made visible.

Too much valuable work goes unrecognized because people cannot connect what they do to the outcomes that matter.

I wrote Hidden Value to help leaders uncover the value their teams create, connect it to business priorities, and communicate their impact in ways others understand.

Stop defending your contribution. Start making it visible.

Explore the Book
Hidden Value Award

The Framework

The Ideas That Drive The Work

Four proprietary frameworks built from 25 years of practice, doctoral research, and the hard lessons that only come from doing the work at the highest levels.

Value Creation Compass

From the award-winning book Hidden Value

Learn More

Value Obsession Framework

From Hidden Value

Learn More

Trusted Learning Advisor Evolution Model

From The Trusted Learning Advisor

Learn More

Breaking the Box

From The Keynote and Forthcoming Book

Learn More

Watch. Listen. Read.

Challenge Your Thinking

Conversations on the future of work, learning,
and why most organizations are getting both wrong.

Explore Insights and Media
WATCH NOW

Keith doesn't just speak to a room. He moves the people in it.

YOUTUBE

Future-Prepare

Subscribe to @drkeithkeating

For insights on the future of work, organizational learning, and what it takes to build a workforce that doesn't just survive disruption, it creates it.

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PODCASTS FEATURING DR. KEITH KEATING

Conversations That Go Deeper

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PUBLICATIONS

The Ideas, in Print

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Beyond the Bio

Confessions You Won't Find On My LinkedIn

I was a backup dancer. Professionally. I was also in a music video for one of the most famous artists in the world.

Curious who? You'll have to ask me in person.

I've lived in 7 countries: Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Korea, the UK, and 8 states in the US.

I was agile before I could spell the word.

I got my GED at fifteen.

In a psychiatric hospital.

The system had already decided my story.

I disagreed.

I was once fired for sending 10,000 emails at once to promote my website and crashing our mail server.

I forgot to change the mailbox. Damn Blackberry.

The system said I'd never get a degree.

I got four.

I failed the law school entrance exam three times.

I've never been so glad to have failed at something.

I've lived in a car twice. The first time was a 32-day contest. I won the car.

The second time, I had nowhere else to go.

I write the books I want to write.

I worry about the publisher later.

I once convinced a famous Hollywood nightclub that my mom was the editor-in-chief of a magazine to get us a table. We ended up taking the table away from a very famous pair of reclusive twin actresses-turned-fashion designers. They were not happy.

We had the night of our lives.

I've sold three reality TV show ideas.

Two were thrown in the trash.

One is still on air today.

I once moved to Los Angeles after booking bit parts in Frasier and Seabiscuit. My combined total of 9 words are on the cutting room floor.

The West Wing kept me but you'll need patience, good eyes, and a pause button.

I've been laid off twice.

It can happen to anyone.

At any time.

I genuinely believe learning

changes lives, including my own life.

That's not a keynote line.

That's just the truth.

The Future of Work Doesn't Just Happen. Let's Create it. Together.

Whether you need a keynote that shifts a room, an advisory partner to transform your learning function, or a voice that challenges your organization to evolve, I work with a select number of organizations each year.

If you're ready to do the work, let's talk.