Helena Morrissey, a TED talk speaker who was voted the Financial Times’ Person of the Year in 2017, is the former CEO of Newton Investment. This influential campaigner is the mastermind behind several successful financial strategies and advocates for workplace diversity. Helena has dedicated her speaking career to motivating other professional women. An impactful author and public speaker, Helena leaves audiences inspired and energised.
Helena uses her platform as a speaker to rewrite the stereotypes surrounding mothers in the workplace and make a simple statement – women should not have to choose between family and their careers. As a mentor, Helena has helped countless women to discover their potential, a testament to her commitment. She is also responsible for several influential campaigns, including the 30% club, which sought to boost female representation at the board and C-Suite levels in the world’s largest corporations. In 2017, Helena was appointed Dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Helena is a pioneer of gender diversity in senior roles, which is the core focus of her campaign. Working closely to eradicate the hardships women face in all areas of their lives, both personal and professional, Helena is also a trustee at the Eve Appeal. The charity raises money for gynaecological cancers and increases awareness of the symptoms of such diseases. Through her book and public speeches, Helena reflects upon her strides as a female advocate, inspiring audiences to follow in her footsteps.
Starting her career at Schroders, Helena later moved to Newton Investment Management. As a fixed-income manager, she spent the 1990s working closely with clients on their financial portfolios, helping them achieve their monetary goals. Helena was later appointed their Chief Executive and is credited for the company’s reported £47 billion assets as of 2015. She is now Chair of the Diversity Project, which aims to accelerate the journey to an inclusive culture in the financial services sector. With a wealth of business experience, Helena is the perfect business and finance speaker.
Helena has dedicated her career to several worthy causes, including as a former Chairperson of the Royal Academy of Arts’ corporate board and on the advisory board of The Five Foundation. She is also the author of A Good Time to Be a Girl and Style and Substance, which sets a blueprint for a more inclusive society. Helena Morrissey expands on this ideology at events, displaying the importance of different perspectives and experiences for corporate audiences.
Social Media
Books
A Good Time to Be a Girl
Style and Substance
Reviews
Helena Morrissey received a 4 star rating across 13 events in 2023.
Agent Recommendation
"Dame Helena Morrissey is an inspiring and engaging speaker with a wealth of experience in leadership, diversity, and ethical investing. She’s not only a trailblazer in the business world but also a passionate advocate for gender equality. Her talks are thought-provoking, motivating, and leave audiences feeling empowered to make real change."
How to hire Dame Helena Morrissey
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Dame Helena Morrissey 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.
Helena's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Women in business
- Investment management
- Wealth management
- Finance and futurism
- Business management
- Leadership and teamwork
- Motivating staff
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Helena's stage presence encapsulated our audience, whilst engaging them with her story, and making them feel that she was one of them. Empowering, real, and a great story teller. Women in Data were thrilled to have Helena contribute at our event on the empowerment stage and would not hesitate to invite her back again to hear more"- Women in Data UK
"Helena is an inspirational speaker. She delivers her message with clarity and passion in a way that really resonates. Even when discussing complex and challenging issues, her story telling skills and practical advice make it accessible and engaging. When she spoke before an internal EY audience of over 1000 people she held the room in the palm of her hand. Her open and honest style had an impact on the crowd that was palpable on the day and the feedback from the audience was overwhelmingly positive" - Ey Ireland
"WINN UK had the privilege of welcoming Dame Helena Morrissey as our keynote speaker for the WINN UK annual event 2019 yesterday (20 November). Helena spoke passionately on the topic of “Why finance needs more women”. A wide audience of women and men from Natixis London Branch and other UK affiliates, as well as external guests, were inspired by the event. We look forward to continuing the positive and effective work WiNN does into 2020 and beyond"- WINN UK"There was a great buzz, fantastic attendance, Dame Helena was a winner!" - Anglo American
- 2023 - Spoke at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship
- 2023 – Chair, Altum Group
- 2023 – Chair of the Board of Directors, Fidelis Insurance Group
- 2022 – Recognised as one of the 25 most influential people in the City over the past 25 years by Financial News
- 2021 – Consultant & former Chair, AJ Bell
- 2021 – Author of “Style and Substance”
- 2020 – Appointed to the House of Lords
- 2018 – Author of “A Good Time to Be A Girl”
- 2018 – Governor, Eton College
- 2017 – Appointed Dame
- 2017 – Voted Financial Times’ Person of the Year
- 2016 – Chair, Diversity Project
- 2009 – Founder of 30% Club
- 2001 – Chief Executive Officer, Newton
