Karen Blackett OBE is a proven business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures, energising teams, and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of... Read more
Karen Blackett OBE is a proven business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures, energising teams, and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people.
As former GroupM UK CEO, Karen was selected to turnaround the business over 2.5 years at a critical time, during the COVID global pandemic and the subsequent impact of the killing of George Floyd.
Karen also has extensive multinational experience having served as EMEA Chief Operating Officer, with key priority markets being Russia, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and Israel. During her 3 years in role, strengthening the EMEA network, MediaCom moved from the 5th to 3rd largest EMEA network media agency.
In June 2014, Karen received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours and topped the Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1.
As a long-term champion of the Creative Industry sector in the UK, since 2016 Karen Blackett OBE has been a NED for Creative UK, a not-for-profit organisation that champions, connects, supports & invests in creative people & businesses.
Karen was appointed Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth in 2017, the first Alumna to become Chancellor.
Karen founded The Black Equity Organisation in 2021, alongside David Lammy MP, David Olusoga OBE, Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, Ric Lewis and Dame Vivian Hunt. BEO is an independent, national Black civil rights organisation created to dismantle systemic racism in Britain, drive generational change and deliver better lived experiences for Black people across the country.
In June 2022, Karen was appointed a NED for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company) and was a former NED of The Cabinet Office. In November 2022, Karen received Power List’s Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her continued exceptional achievements.
Karen was honoured by INvolve – The Inclusion People’s List and came in at #1 for the Top 100 Women Executives in October 2023.
In April 2024, Karen was awarded Freedom of the City of London, and in January 2025 received a CBE for services to Advertising and The Creative Industries in the King’s New Years honours.
You can book Karen Blackett OBE through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Karen's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Karen Blackett OBE'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 Karen tailored to your event.
Karen Blackett OBE speaks on Customer Experience, Diversity, Future of Work, HR, Leadership. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Karen to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Karen Blackett OBE for events worldwide, subject to Karen'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 Karen Blackett OBE 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 Karen can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Karen Blackett OBE 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 Karen can offer.
Karen Blackett OBE delivers keynotes in English. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Karen Blackett OBE's areas of expertise include Customer Experience, Diversity, Future of Work, HR, Leadership. To get a clear sense of Karen'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.
Karen Blackett OBE can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Customer Experience, Diversity, Future of Work, HR, Leadership is relevant. Details of Karen'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 Karen Blackett OBE 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 Karen Blackett OBE, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Karen's current availability for your dates.