Bruce Whitfield is a high-profile business and leadership speaker and coach from South Africa. He is the creator of the Chaos Advantage framework, a pioneering approach that encourages clients to challenge conventional thinking and master decision-making. As a keynote speaker, Bruce has delivered his expert advice and insights at global conferences, industry events and panel discussions. Able to adapt his teaching to multiple sectors, Bruce has been hired by finance, technology, healthcare and manufacturing event organisers and worked with behavioural economists, start-up founders, spiritual leaders and the world's most famous billionaires. For an in-demand speaker who sparks reflection and a mindset shift in audiences, hire Bruce Whitfield!
In 1989, Bruce graduated from Rhodes University with a degree in Journalism and worked as a Treasurer for Rhodes Music Radio alongside his studies. In the early 2000's, Bruce established himself as an up-and-coming broadcaster, working for Primedia Broadcasting. As his skills grew, he was trusted to be a host on 'The Money Show' on Radio 702 and Cape Talk. In 2015, Bruce became an official business speaker, sharing his highly analytical and sophisticated views on business management, leadership behaviour and solutionist thinking. A few years later, he became a host on the 'RMB Solutionist Thinking' Podcast, where he expanded on his insights for listeners. As a faculty member at Duke Corporate Education, part of Duke University, Bruce has shared his teachings and spoken on topics like The Davos of Human Capital and Reimagining Financial Services for 2035. He additionally co-authored the 'Tymebank: Disrupting the Banking Landscape With Kiosks for Financial Inclusion' case study for Harvard Business School.
Bruce has published multiple bestselling books, including 'The Upside of Down', 'The One Thing' and his 2025 title, 'It's About Tyme' with Adrian Saville. With his clear, well-explained and engaging delivery of information, Bruce has been a host on several podcasts, such as 'Bruce Whitfield's Genius' Podcast, 'The Financial Freedom Pod' with Warren Ingram and his most recent launch, 'The Art of Deciding Podcast'. In this latest podcast, Bruce talks with guests to unpack how they optimise their decision-making and has featured the likes of Lee Child, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Liv Boeree, Sir Brad Fried and Asbjørn Rachlew. He has also given two highly praised TED talks, delivering 'What if banks incentivised climate action?' in 2024 and 'The one skill you need to thrive in a turbulent world' in 2025. For his extensive speaking engagements and success, Bruce won Best Thought Leadership Speaker at The Speaker Awards & Summit in 2025.
Bruce Whitfield has helped executives and teams make better choices, take confident action and stand out in a world full of uncertainty and distraction for the past decade, blending practical strategies with targeted analysis to empower them. As a speaker, his ultimate goal is to inspire action and transformation, cutting through noise and offering clarity to his audience. For a globally recognised speaker who brings valuable insights to events across a range of industries and contexts, hire Bruce Whitfield with Champions today!
Social Media
Books
The Upside of Down: How Chaos and Uncertainty Breed Opportunity in South Africa
Genius: How to Thrive at the Edge of Chaos
It's About Tyme: Banking Beyond Borders
The One Thing: Small Ideas, Big Outcomes, A Brighter Future for South Africa
Bruce Whitfield's official speaking topics are listed below:
How to Get Lucky: Where Strategy, Opportunism and Grit Collide:
This keynote distils critical lessons from successful global businesses, emphasising that luck is a byproduct of strategy, opportunism, and grit. It's a much-needed antidote to prevailing negative sentiments, inspiring leaders to seize hidden opportunities in challenging times.
How to Thrive at the Edge of Chaos:
Drawing from his latest book, 'Genius: How to Take Smart Ideas Global' this keynote is about thriving amidst scarcity and adversity. It presents inspiring case studies of people and businesses succeeding against the odds, challenging and inspiring audiences to act and achieve goals in any circumstances.
The Chaos Advantage:
Decide Better or Fall Behind. Chaos is not a threat. It’s raw material. The leaders and organisations that thrive are not the ones waiting for calm or merely adapting, but those who spot patterns, make high-quality decisions, and act decisively while others freeze, conform, or wait. This takes more than smart choices. It requires effectiveness in turning those choices into impact. What derails people when uncertainty strikes? Disengagement, paralysis, and conformity. And the cost is more than missed opportunities. Every decision, or indecision, shapes not just the future of your organisation, but its very essence. Your people. Bruce Whitfield unpacks this challenge through the three pillars of decisive leadership: Perception (See Clearly): Learn to cut through noise, challenge assumptions, and spot weak signals where hidden opportunities lie. Decision (Choose Wisely): Progress is defined by the quality of your choices, not the quantity. Learn how to apply decision filters, embrace asymmetrical thinking, and act with courage even without perfect information. Action (Move Decisively): In chaotic times, speed and adaptability are your allies. Learn how to make small, reversible bets, build rapid feedback loops, and inspire confidence through decisive leadership. The Chaos Advantage is clear. Those who master decision-making move faster, foster engagement, challenge conformity, and leave behind those who hesitate.
Geopolitricks:
Uncertainty or progress in disguise? Wars, elections, trade tensions, technological rivalries, and climate pressures dominate the headlines, leaving leaders asking whether this is the end of stability or the beginning of a new order. In Geopolitricks, Bruce Whitfield cuts through the noise to explain how today’s geopolitical uncertainty is not just disruption but often progress in disguise. History shows that turbulence sparks innovation, reshapes economies, and forces breakthroughs that calmer times rarely deliver. The challenge is not predicting every twist, but learning how to read the patterns, distinguish between tricks and facts, anticipate ripple effects, and position yourself for advantage. Discover: How to decode uncertainty by separating hype from real structural shifts, where progress hides in disruption and the overlooked upsides of political, economic, and technological upheaval. Practical strategies to prepare organisations and teams for what’s coming next.
Making sense of the noise:
Reframe, Rethink, Reimagine. We’re drowning in information, opinions, forecasts, and headlines, but clarity is rarer than ever. Noise is everywhere, fuelling a grievance crisis that erodes trust. But danger isn’t only outside. As Daniel Kahneman warned, the real danger is inside our organisations and ourselves, in inconsistent judgments, hidden biases, and flawed assumptions that shape every decision. In this keynote, Bruce Whitfield explores how leaders can practice “decision hygiene” to reduce distortion and sharpen clarity, to decide better. When everyone is overwhelmed by external and internal noise, advantage goes to those who can reframe the narrative, rethink reality and their options, and reimagine a better way forward. Making Sense of the Noise is not just about quieting the chaos around us, but about mastering the subtler noise within. It’s about turning distraction into clarity, and clarity into impactful action.
Solutionist thinking:
Solving tomorrow’s problems today. The biggest threat to any industry isn’t disruption but irrelevance. No breakthrough was ever achieved by simply responding to today’s needs. Breakthrough is achieved by anticipating tomorrow’s needs. Solutionist Thinking is about shifting from problem-solving to possibility-shaping, from reacting to reinventing. What separates the best from the rest? The ability to look beyond immediate pressures and ask, what will people need next? By reimagining industries around future demands, leaders can position themselves not just to survive change, but to drive it. This demands building cultures that reward curiosity, experimentation, and bold action. Solutionist Thinking challenges leaders to stop playing catch-up and start creating the future. Once you have actionable steps, you can spark innovation and drive growth. Well, now you do.
AI Won’t Replace You. Your Curiosity Will:
Automation, algorithms, and machine learning are reshaping the way we work but human creativity and curiosity remain the ultimate differentiators. How can leaders and teams harness imagination, critical thinking, and bold curiosity to thrive in an AI-driven world? Through this keynote, you will reimagine problems and opportunities that AI alone cannot solve and cultivate your creative thinking and curiosity as a strategic advantage for innovation. The result? Build cultures where experimentation and creativity flourish. Ultimately, AI is only as good as the data we feed it, and the human ingenuity we bring to interpret, question, and transform that data into meaningful impact.
One thing:
From complexity to simplicity. Organisations drown in complexity. Too many priorities, too many projects, too many distractions. Real progress comes from clarity. Identifying the one thing that matters most and aligning people and strategy around it. Progress depends on the quality of decisions, not the volume. In One Thing, based on Bruce Whitfield’s acclaimed book, audiences are not just listeners; they become co-creators. Through a practical, high-energy intervention, Bruce engages the room to surface what truly matters most for the organisation. Leadership then takes those insights forward, using them to sharpen strategy, focus priorities, and commit to action. By cutting through the noise and aligning around what matters most, leaders can foster engagement, boost performance, spot opportunities, take bold decisions, move fast, and achieve their vision. This is not a theoretical keynote. One Thing is an intervention designed to ensure everyone has a voice and is truly listened to. It’s about turning collective focus into behavioural change.
TedX Keynote:
In his TedX keynote, he delves into sustainable practices, drawing parallels between combating climate change and innovative approaches. He proposes how industries, especially banking, can contribute significantly to a greener future through performance incentive loans based on climate outcomes.
Choose Hard:
When everyone takes the easy path, opportunity lies in choosing the hard one. Choose Hard is more than a call to leave your comfort zone. It’s about adopting the entrepreneurial mindset, daring to do what others avoid, committing to excellence when shortcuts tempt, and finding the courage to make the impossible possible. In this keynote, leaders and teams are challenged to rethink what it means to lead, create, and collaborate. You’ll discover: How to cultivate determination and resilience to sustain bold choices, How to foster a culture of psychological safety where innovation thrives and diverse voices are heard, How to empower your team to take calculated risks, question conformity, and align around a shared purpose Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” While many dream, imagine what you can awaken when you do the hard things; the choices that differentiate, inspire trust, and create lasting impact.
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events:
"Bruce was a dream to work with and gave a fantastic keynote speech for our audience. He brought a lot of energy to the room and was able to relate his content very well to the particular needs of the audience, keeping them engaged with the subject matter at hand. Really started our forum off with a bang!" - Tierney Holloway, Citywire
"Bruce’s speech was a masterclass in engagement, blending sharp wit with profound insights. Bruce’s honest interpretation of societal dynamics resonated deeply with our audience, sparking meaningful discussions. His ability to articulate complex ideas with clarity and humor not only captivated everyone but also illuminated various aspects of our society in a thought-provoking manner." - Mic Mann, Mann Made
"Thank you for the insightful and energising session with our leadership team. The way you framed the One Thing conversation really helped sharpen our collective focus, and the team appreciated your practical approach and candour." - Kabelo Makeke, CEO of Personal and Private Banking, Standard Bank
"Bruce’ s words are always seasoned with salt, and he knows how to discuss distressing matters in such a way that gives hope to the white-knuckle club. For he was born for such a time as this!" - Noeleen Sparks, Listener
"I don’t say this lightly; Bruce gave the best keynote speech I’ve ever seen during a recent conference I attended. If you’re looking for a speaker to educate, entertain and inspire your audience, Bruce is your man. - Alan Smith, Founder, Capital Partners
"Your speech was the highlight of the evening. Very thought provoking and great audience participation!" - James Cundy, Managing Director, Head of Corporate Banking and Leveraged Finance at HSBC UK
"Bruce’s presentation addressed many of the political and economic “elephants in the room” and gave rise to vigorous debate within our team. The delegates absolutely loved Bruce’s presentation style and content." - Sarah Welton-Blake, SWB Consulting on behalf of Liberty Wealth Advisory
"We are deeply grateful for your participation and for sharing your knowledge with us. Your contribution to the success of the event was immeasurable, and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you again in the future." - Michael Wright, SASLA Chairperson
"The session was widely experienced as inspiring, insightful, and highly uplifting, with participants valuing its strong focus on mindset, optimism, and practical reframing of uncertainty. A recurring takeaway was the call for a mindset shift – moving away from anxiety and overwhelm toward confidence, perspective, and proactive thinking. The session was praised for being packed with practical advice and positive energy within a short time, with several noting a significant change in how they view the future." - Sean Ellis, Senior Consultant, BMA
"Bruce provided inspiration by illustrating that even during a time of scarcity, there are always opportunities to thrive. He is very witty, even when talking about something serious, he brings out the humour in everything." - Hilton Bezuidenhout, Senior Business Development Manager, BCX
"Knowledgeable, entertaining, positive, professional. Bruce is thoroughly prepared, with the ability to apply his profile, journalism skills and natural inquisitiveness to the client event – the result is an MC and facilitator who has always lifted the quality of our events with his personality and excellence." - Hylton Kallner, CEO, Discovery South Africa
"Bruce was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I have worked with Bruce both in London and on a recent roadshow. His presentation was phenomenal and exceeded our expectations and clearly those of the delegates." - Allan Wood, Jersey Finance
"We couldn’t have asked for a more valuable contribution to the event. Your presentation was riveting, and the audience loved it. You inspired others to look at their mindset, values, purpose and leadership roles differently and have given them new tools to make positive changes in their lives and work." - Maanda Tshifularo, CEO, Superlead
- 2025 - Won Best Thought Leadership Speaker at The Speaker Awards & Summit's 2025 Speaker Awards
- 2025 - Published 'It's About Tyme' with Adrian Saville
- 2025 - Host of 'Bruce Whitfield's Business Week; podcast on News24
- 2025 - TEDx Talk titled 'The one skill you need to thrive in a turbulent world'
- 2024 - TEDx talk titled 'What if banks incentivised climate action?'
- 2024 - Host of 'The Art of Deciding Podcast'
- 2024 - Published 'The One Thing'
- 2024 - Co-authored a Harvard Business School Case Study, titled 'Tymebank: Disrupting the Banking Landscape With Kiosks for Financial Inclusion'
- 2024 - Host on 'The Financial Freedom Pod' with Warren Ingram
- 2023 - Member of the faculty at Duke Corporate Education, part of Duke University
- 2023 - Host on 'Bruce Whitfield's Genius' Podcast
- 2022 - Published 'Genius'
- 2020 - Published bestseller 'The Upside of Down'
- 2018 - Host on the 'RMB Solutionist Thinking' Podcast
- 2015 - Official Business Speaker
- 2004 - Host on 'The Money Show' on Radio 702 and Cape Talk
- 2003 - Broadcast journalist for Primedia Broadcasting
- 1989 - Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Rhodes University and worked as Treasurer for Rhodes Music Radio
How to hire Bruce Whitfield
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Bruce Whitfield 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.
