Nic Marks is an award-winning statistician, founder, TED speaker, and bestselling author. As a pioneer in the field of workplace wellbeing, Nic is a trained psychotherapist who operates at the intersection of data and happiness, offering clients and audiences a unique perspective on creating successful teams and thriving at work using a blend of science and human emotion.
Achieving an MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, Nic later retrained in organisational change and psychotherapy at the Psychosynthesis Trust, reshaping his approach to statistics. In 2001, Nic founded the Centre for Well-being at the New Economics Foundation, where he championed innovative ways to measure and improve individuals' lives. During his time with the organisation, Nic developed several influential frameworks, including the Happy Planet Index, the world’s first measure of sustainable wellbeing, and the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a set of science-backed actions for improving wellbeing. In 2012, he established Friday Pulse, formerly known as Happiness Works, alongside Rich Aston. As the current Chief Statistician, Nic offers leaders the tools to understand, monitor, and foster team happiness, successfully transforming data into results using scientific grounding.
Sharing his trailblazing findings, Nic delivered the TED talk ‘The Happy Planet Index’, which has been viewed over a million times. He has since delivered several more TEDx talks and written one of the first TEDBooks, ‘The Happiness Manifesto’. He has been featured in a variety of media, from the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and Wired UK to The Huffington Post. Combining his incredible insights, Nic became the bestselling author of ‘Happiness is Serious Business’ in 2025, in which he presents decades of evidence to prove that happier teams are higher-performing teams. In recognition of his influential work, Nic was voted as one of the Top 10 Original Thinkers in 2011 by Director Magazine, was listed on Forbes 7 Most Powerful Ideas, and was recently shortlisted for the Bookers’ Choice Award at the UK Speaker Awards 2026.
Encouraging people to stop settling for ‘OK’, Nic provides audiences with actionable advice to improve happiness and wellbeing and to better the performance of teams and businesses. A changemaking figure with over 25 years of experience, he shares his expertise in an inspiring, energising, and entertaining way, discussing burnout, collaboration, innovation, and human empathy.
Books
Happiness is Serious Business
The Happiness Manifesto
Nic Marks' official speaking topics are listed below:
Happiness is a Serious Business: Why happy teams are successful & how to build them
- This keynote brings Nic’s book to life. He shows why happiness is not a fluffy extra but a serious driver of business success. Using compelling data, stories and practical frameworks, Nic explains how leaders can create the conditions for happier teams — and why those teams deliver higher performance, stronger loyalty, and long-term resilience.
Stuck in OK?
- Even well-run organisations have teams that get stuck in “OK.” They’re not unhappy enough to trigger alarms but lack the energy to truly thrive. Nic shows how a focus on everyday happiness can break the cycle and unlock potential.
Fired Up or Burnt Out
- Burnout is one of today’s biggest workplace risks. Nic shows how positive, productive cultures drive results without exhausting people.
Breaking Down Silos
- Collaboration is vital but often elusive. Nic shows how positivity and appreciation make people want to work together, building stronger connections both within teams and across the whole organisation.
Innovate or Stagnate
- In many sectors, it’s innovate or die. Yet pressure alone doesn’t create fresh ideas — it often shuts them down. Nic shows how happiness fuels the creativity and problem-solving that help teams generate new ideas and turn them into real results.
The Talent Magnet
- In today’s market, pay alone won’t attract the best people. Candidates want purpose, flexibility and positive cultures. Nic shows how positive cultures attract top talent.
Happy Customers Starts with Happy Employees
- Great service doesn’t happen by accident. Nic shows how positivity at work ripples outwards — improving customer experiences, reducing sales costs and building lasting loyalty.
The Future of Work is Human
- As AI reshapes the workplace, human skills become the true differentiator. Nic argues that happiness intelligence (HI) will be the ultimate competitive advantage — fuelling creativity, resilience and collaboration in ways machines can’t replicate.
Official Feedback for In-Person & Virtual Events
“Nic Marks has long championed the radical idea that happiness is a metric worth measuring. This book shows it’s even more than that – it’s the secret sauce behind every thriving team” - Chris Anderson, Head of TED
"Nic Marks is a Madman... I mean that in the highest and most complimentary sense of the word. I've been booking Nic for over a decade because he sees the world differently—and audiences love him for it. His ideas are fresh, unconventional and thought-provoking, delivered with humour, warmth and infectious enthusiasm. You don't just listen to a Nic Marks presentation—you find yourself thinking about it long after it's over." - Chris Ryan, Founder, The Legacy Alliance
"Nic is one of the most original and inspiring voices in today’s vital debate about well-being and happiness. He has that rare gift of communicating both engagingly and with authority." - Jonathan Porritt, CBE, Founder of Forum for the Future
"Nic’s keynote ‘Happiness is a Serious Business’ was compelling. His evidence-based approach shows why happiness is critical to organisational success — breaking through even sceptical mindsets. Weeks later, the buzz hasn’t dissipated." - Elaine Watson, Director of People and Culture, NHS Tayside
"In June 2019, Nic spoke at our annual alumni event addressing happiness and wellbeing in the workplace. Drawing upon his expert knowledge as a statistician, as well as his rich experience with organisations and insight into human motivation, his ability to address a diverse audience and capture their attention is unprecedented. Truly fascinating and I cannot recommend him highly enough.” - Professor Ansgar Richter, Dean of Surrey Business School
"Nic is one of the most thoughtful, inspiring speakers we've brought to the stage. He has an intellectual rigour coupled with a deeply human perspective that encapsulates him in every way. He is natural, compelling, authentic and brings his own slightly quirky charm to the topics he is passionate about.” - Georgie, Made by Many
- 2026 – Shortlisted for the Bookers’ Choice Award at the UK Speaker Awards
- 2025 – Published ‘Happiness is a Serious Business’
- 2018 – Chief Statistician, Friday Pulse
- 2012 – Founder & CEO, Friday Pulse
- 2011 – Published one of first TED books, The Happiness Manifesto
- 2010 – Delivered TED talk, The Happy Planet Index
- 2001 – Founder, Centre for Wellbeing, New Economics Foundation
How to hire Nic Marks
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Nic Marks for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
