Interviews
Interview with Abigail Posner: Director, Creative Works at Google
“Creativity is essential to innovation… and the fact is, we are all inherently…
Keynote Speaker
Anthropologist and Former Director, U.S. Creative Works, Google
Popular talks
Popular talks by Abigail Posner
What’s my edge now? That’s what leaders are asking as they try and spark innovation and organizational transformation in an AI-driven revolution. It’s a paradox: We have access to the most powerful technology in human history yet we have a fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO). The problem isn’t AI, it’s…
What’s my edge now? That’s what leaders are asking as they try and spark innovation and organizational transformation in an AI-driven revolution.
It’s a paradox: We have access to the most powerful technology in human history yet we have a fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO). The problem isn’t AI, it’s that most leaders have been conditioned to compartmentalize the very things that make them irreplaceable.
An anthropologist, former senior executive at Google and in advertising, Abigail shows leaders how to lead with more originality and impact and an edge that is unmistakably their own by leveraging all of their passions, skills, and experiences – their expansiveness. Think of it like this: you’re not a single instrument. You’re a musician who knows how to play several. Expansiveness is knowing which one the moment calls for. It’s NOT about bringing your whole self to work. It’s a different game entirely.
Abigail’s energy, storytelling, real-world examples, and audience engagement unpack how the future belongs to leaders who generate results by digging into their expansiveness to create something no algorithm can predict and no competitor can replicate.
Too many people don’t think they’re capable of generating the breakthrough ideas their organization desperately needs. They’re wrong. And this presentation inspires them how to contribute in ways they never imagined. Creativity isn’t reserved for the “naturally gifted” — it’s wired into all of us. The problem isn’t that people…
Too many people don’t think they’re capable of generating the breakthrough ideas their organization desperately needs. They’re wrong. And this presentation inspires them how to contribute in ways they never imagined.
Creativity isn’t reserved for the “naturally gifted” — it’s wired into all of us. The problem isn’t that people lack creative capacity. It’s that they’ve never been shown how to find it, trust it, and activate it. In an era of AI, that capacity matters more than ever, freeing us to refocus on what humans do best: bold ideation, collaborative insight, and imaginative thinking at its most powerful.
In this electrifying, mind-expanding talk, Abigail Posner, a force of nature on stage, shows every person in the room how to unlock their innate creative potential. She hands them a rich toolkit spanning anthropology, neuroscience, real-world business examples, and AI-powered analysis to generate bold ideas and compete in times of seismic change.
Audiences leave equipped with concrete tools to activate their creativity immediately.
Everyone is using AI to do the same things faster. Almost no one is using it to think bigger. The creative potential of AI is vastly underestimated and almost entirely untapped. Your boldest ideas and sharpest instincts have always been there. But ingenuity, the ability to apply those ideas to…
Everyone is using AI to do the same things faster. Almost no one is using it to think bigger. The creative potential of AI is vastly underestimated and almost entirely untapped.
Your boldest ideas and sharpest instincts have always been there. But ingenuity, the ability to apply those ideas to solve real problems, can only go so far when it’s buried under the mental load of everything else. AI changes that. It takes on the rote and the analytical, freeing your most original, emotionally intelligent thinking to finally unleash its full force and take what’s possible further than ever imagined.
In this inspiring, provocative talk, Abigail Posner reframes AI as the latest in a long human tradition of using tools to expand what we’re capable of and gives people a concrete way to use it differently. Audiences leave knowing not just why AI is a creative force multiplier, but exactly how to deploy it that way, with their thinking cracked open and a practical framework to put it to work immediately.
About Abigail Posner
Abigail Posner spent 13 years at Google, but don’t make assumptions about her based on that fact.
Abigail didn’t start in tech. She started out studying people, earning a degree from Harvard in social anthropology, driven by one question: Why do humans do what they do? That lens proved to be the most valuable thing she ever brought to the boardroom at top advertising agencies where she shaped brand identities and communication to achieve tangible results.
Then, for thirteen years as director of U.S. Creative Works at Google, Abigail brought cultural anthropology to the data and technology, leading a team crafting AI-powered technologies and winning strategies for YouTube’s top global advertising clients. Her most pioneering work: Creating the Humanizing Digital thought leadership series which explored our emotional relationship with technology. While everyone asked, “What can tech do?” – Abigail asked, “What does tech do to us?”– and then used those insights to create valuable strategies.
One thing became clear: As tech got smarter, humanness got more valuable. Now in her post-Google career, Abigail founded the Human Code Company to answer the question so many leaders were asking her: How do we create the future when change is coming at us so fast? The answer lies in the ability for leaders to think expansively and harness their Human Code as the ultimate competitive edge in an AI world.
The Human Code is the art of combining your unique experiences, interests, and perspectives to lead with more impact, more originality, and an edge that’s entirely your own. Abigail helps leaders unlock innovation and drive real organizational transformation by blending AI and data intelligence with creative vision and human-centered thinking. She shows leaders that AI also stands for “amplify impact,” and that combining it with their most human qualities creates results no algorithm can replicate.
That’s the overview – but let’s dig a bit deeper.
At Google’s Creative Works, Abigail led a multidisciplinary team developing data-driven, AI-powered advertising and branded content strategies for YouTube’s top global advertisers. She pioneered Humanizing Digital, an anthropology-based thought leadership series exploring our emotional relationship with technology. She also helped guide a cultural transformation initiative for Google’s 4,000+ sales professionals, building unity and renewed purpose across regions; and earlier, created and scaled a global culture of insights program that deepened customer understanding both within Google and across client organizations.
Before joining Google, Abigail served as executive vice president of Brand Strategy at Publicis New York and Strategy Team Director at DDB New York, where she led major global client initiatives and new business efforts that shaped brand identities across industries.
Her work has been recognized with the United Nations Media Impact Award, and her insights have been featured in outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company, CNBC, and elsewhere. She regularly shares perspectives on innovation, creativity, and the human-technology relationship at conferences and business gatherings all over the world.
Through the Human Code newsletter and her writing in outlets such as The Drum, Abigail shapes global dialogue around culture, technology, and human behavior. She also hosts the Human Code podcast, bringing these conversations to life with industry leaders and cultural figures.
Abigail sits on the corporate board for ENDI Corp (OTCMKTS: ENDI).
A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University in social anthropology, Abigail lives in New York City, where she raised her three adult children.
Answers on fees, availability and booking process.
You can book Abigail Posner through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Abigail's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Abigail Posner's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Abigail tailored to your event.
Abigail Posner speaks on Artificial Intelligence, Change, Leadership, Motivation, Performance. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Abigail to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Abigail Posner for events worldwide, subject to Abigail's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Abigail Posner is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Abigail can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Abigail Posner on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Abigail can offer.
Abigail Posner delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Abigail Posner's areas of expertise include Artificial Intelligence, Change, Leadership, Motivation, Performance. To get a clear sense of Abigail's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Abigail Posner can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Change, Leadership, Motivation, Performance is relevant. Details of Abigail's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Abigail Posner is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Abigail Posner, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Abigail's current availability for your dates.
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