Annabelle Williams Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerAnnabelle Williams

Paralympic Gold Medallist, international motivational speaker, business owner, TV presenter, lawyer, board director and Mum

Annabelle Williams captained the Australian Paralympic Swim Team and managed to balance her sporting career with a highly successful and demanding corporate career as a lawyer. Annabelle competed in two Paralympic Games, broke five world records and won numerous medals for Australia, including gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.... Read more

Biography

Annabelle Williams captained the Australian Paralympic Swim Team and managed to balance her sporting career with a highly successful and demanding corporate career as a lawyer. Annabelle competed in two Paralympic Games, broke five world records and won numerous medals for Australia, including gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Annabelle was an M&A lawyer at top-tier law firm, Allens Linklaters, and in-house counsel for the Australian Olympic Committee. She is a strong advocate for the rights of athletes and, at the age of 24, was awarded with the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to sport. Annabelle is the Founder & CEO of “Grit & Gold”, a Director of Swimming Australia, a Member of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal and International Cricket Council Code of Conduct Commission. She graduated from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she delivered the Valedictory Address and is a highly recognised and respected sports broadcaster, having most recently anchored Australia’s coverage of the Tokyo Paralympics and Birmingham Commonwealth Games, both of which won Logie Awards for most outstanding sports coverage.

Annabelle Williams is passionate about building belonging in the worlds leading workplaces and helping people and organisations to unlock a growth mindset, develop resilience, embrace diversity, inclusion, courage and kindness to unleash their full potential.

In a fun fact, Annabelle was briefly Charlize Theron’s stunt double in Mad Max 4: Fury Road!

“We were privileged to have Annabelle Williams as our guest speaker at bolttech’s annual leadership event. She was the perfect choice to deliver a powerful message on how the combination of grit, perseverance and kindness can produce a growth mindset. The courage, humor, and grace she showed in delivering her inspiring life story resonated with our team of leaders, and helped us to challenge our perceptions about our own real or perceived limitations. Her message gave us belief in the untapped potential for our personal growth and power of collective achievement. Thank you Annabelle!” Rob Schimek, Group Chief Executive Officer, bolttech
"Annabelle's energetic, challenging speech created a positive and engaged mindset in our audience. Her fearless and courageous approach, as told in her own words, ignited a real spark in our people to reach their highest levels of achievement yet. Annabelle made a significant contribution to the success of our event." Marcus Jewell, Chief Sales Officer & EVP, Juniper Networks

"She inspired me and my team that with the right mindset and attitude and with a supportive team behind you, you can achieve just about anything." James Cairns, Manager Government Relations, Allianz
"as I scanned through possible speakers to talk about the importance of perseverance and grit as a startup, there was no better person than Annabelle to deliver that message. You embody courage, perseverance and hard work that are hallmarks for any startup. Thank you for getting us started!" Babu Sivadasan, CEO and Founder of Paanini
"Annabelle gave a very impactful, inspiring and human speech to my management team. We realized that our challenges are most of the time nothing compared to what other people have to cope with. All in all, it gave us a lot of energy and strength to fight for what we want to achieve as a company." Frances Rubiralta, Chairman and CEO, Celsa Group
"Annabelle exemplified how courageous leaders are the key to driving workplace diversity and inclusion. I am thrilled to thank Annie for being a friend of Brilliant Women Global, and I am excited to recommend her as a keynote speaker and leader on organisational purpose and change." Joseph Ghaly, CEO and Founder, Brilliant Women Global
"She is a really engaging speaker, who is able to draw on her own experiences as well her extensive knowledge to give great insights into how workplaces can create environments that are more inclusive for all." Lisa Annese, Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Council Australia

Popular Talks by Annabelle Williams

  • Unleashing potential through courage and kindness
    One of the earliest lessons we learn as a child is the importance of being kind. Fast forward to our adult lives, it’s one of the first things we forget when we’re under pressure. Goals, deadlines, and everyday stressors can make us easily overlook the importance kindness plays in our...
  • Empowering a growth mindset through grit and determination
    Let’s face it, there is a big difference between someone who sees a challenge as an opportunity and someone who views a challenge as a roadblock. Having a growth mindset means believing that our abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. So how do you transform the perceptions...
  • Building resilience through inclusion and belonging
    The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means ‘bouncing back’ from difficult experiences.” It’s a lifelong skill that...
  • The art of storytelling as a strategic business tool (Masterclass)
    Annabelle believes that a story can go where quantitative analysis is denied admission: our hearts. Data can persuade people, but it doesn’t inspire them to act; to do that, you need to wrap your vision in a story that fires the imagination and stirs the soul. The best leaders are...
  • The Power of Purpose
    Drawing on Annabelle’s personal journey as an athlete, she will share her experience transitioning from an elite sports career to finding a new purpose in the corporate world. Annabelle will guide you through proven techniques to discover your true purpose and harness its extraordinary power. Learn how to wake up...