Nis Arend

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Speaking

Strategic speaking engagements that bring fresh perspective to leadership, trust, decision-making and the human dynamics shaping performance.

Nis Arend > Services > Speaking
Delivery

In-person

Scope
Bespoke to context
Availability
Global

Overview

Some speaking engagements are informative.

Some are inspiring.

The most valuable ones help people see something they hadn’t seen before, think differently about their work, and act on it afterwards.

Nis is engaged by organisations looking for thought-provoking sessions that combine practical insight, commercial relevance and audience engagement. Her speaking draws on decades of experience working with leaders, leadership teams, relationship managers and professionals operating in high-performance environments.

Sessions are designed to challenge assumptions, introduce fresh perspectives and leave people with ideas they can apply immediately.

Whether delivered as a leadership event, client event, conference keynote, professional development session or lunch-and-learn, every engagement is tailored to the audience, context and objectives of the organisation.

Many of the sessions explore the habits, decisions and behaviours that consistently separate top performers from the rest of the field.

Who this is for

Organisations typically engage Nis through conference producers, internal communications teams, CEO offices and event organisers responsible for leadership, client and professional development programmes.

Commissioned for leadership events, conferences, internal development programmes and client-facing sessions, audiences range from early-career professionals to leaders and client groups.

The conversations resonate particularly well with people looking for a fresh perspective on self-leadership, performance, relationships and the choices that shape professional and personal outcomes.

Works equally across large plenary audiences and more focused groups.

What we address

Leadership, trust, influence and decision-making sit at the core of engagements.

Sessions are designed to give audiences a practical and commercially grounded way of thinking about leadership, performance and their decision-making skillset in demanding environments.

They typically focus on themes such as leadership and self-leadership, trust and credibility, human behaviour under pressure, decision-making, communication that builds trust and the dynamics of high-performing teams and client relationships.

The emphasis is on helping people think more clearly about how they operate in their role, how they influence others, and how performance is sustained in complex, real-world conditions.

Topics can be drawn from an existing portfolio or shaped around the specific context and outcomes of your audience.

Outcomes

Participants leave with:

  • A clearer perspective on familiar leadership and performance challenges
  • Practical ideas that can be applied immediately in their role
  • Greater awareness of the behaviours shaping their effectiveness
  • Increased confidence in decision-making and day-to-day leadership
  • More considered thinking about trust, influence and professional relationships
  • Reflection that continues after the session and informs future choices
  • Conversations that improve collaboration, alignment and engagement
Client Perspective

Nis Arend is a truly amazing speaker who delivers powerful messages with flair, gusto and presence.

Her messages and insights have an unusually transformative effect on how one thinks about the workplace, our purpose within it, and about life in general.

Nis is to be commended for her great ability to clearly demonstrate in practical ways how always acting for the greater good benefits rather than hinders in the corporate world.

I first heard Nis speak years ago in 2014 at an in-house event at Barclays, and the power of her messages continues to resonate.

Rakesha Rai, Vice President

I had the pleasure of hearing Nis speak as one of the panel speakers at the Women in Sales Award Summit at Ascot a few months ago. Not only was she raw and real, she was hilarious. She provided insight without touching upon the boring common advice tips you often hear. Her positivity and energy is contagious!

Shaira Yvel, Enterprise Cyber Security Specialist & 2 x Women in Sales Finalist

I recently attended a Top 1% evening event hosted by Nis. I approached it with some scepticism; I thought it would be a bit fluffy. It turned out to be the opposite. Nis asked hard hitting questions that really made me think deeply about my job and the career path I want to be on. I was also very impressed by the quality of my fellow attendees. We were able to immediately have an open, honest discussion of key things that were holding us back individually and what we, as a group of women, encountered in our day to day working environments. I would strongly recommend that other women in particular attend an event hosted by Nis. It will definitely help in clearing the wood for the trees.

Renée Friedman, Economist, Editor, and Writer

I just sat through 2 thrilling sessions with Nis at PIMS wealth management and investment industry forum. Interesting thought provoking and energetic. No punches pulled. Loved it!!

Sean McParland, Corporate Director

Nis is a phenomenal presenter, coach and is extremely engaging on stage and in person. I had the pleasure of attending and supporting in a number of the sessions she delivered as part of our Learning & Development Curriculum and the bank’s Women’s Initiative Network Career Days. She has the natural ability to capture audiences. I heard very positive feedback from attendees as they leave the room and in the lift when we headed back to our desks.

Winnie Oudemans, Head of DEI

Nis is an exceptional speaker and motivator. After attending one of her workshops about time management (a lot more enlightening and very different to the usual stuff) I signed up to Monday Minute which is her weekly email full of personal development tips (for business and personal life). It can be read in a minute. I recently also participated in Nis’s seminar, which was very insightful and full of practical things that you can do now to deal with a situation. Sign up to Monday Minute now, you won’t regret it. And if you can get to hear Nis live (or via zoom), do so.

Rita Dattani, Corporate Lawyer and Partner

An amazingly immersive and engaging session taught by Nis to allow us to broaden our thinking and be creative towards the task. Great activity set to enable us to be customer-centric and think ahead to fulfil our roles within the bank.

Andy Cunningham, Managing Director

FAQs
Speaking engagements focus on leadership, trust, influence, decision-making and the human dynamics that shape performance in professional environments. Topics explore the behavioural and relational factors that influence outcomes, particularly in high-performance, client-facing and leadership contexts. Each session is designed to be relevant, thought-provoking and immediately useful to the audience in the room.
Yes. Every engagement is shaped around the audience, context and purpose of the event. Some organisations select from an existing portfolio of topics. Others choose a fully bespoke session designed around a specific challenge, theme or strategic focus.
It can be either. Most engagements are delivered as keynote-style sessions with a strong emphasis on audience engagement throughout. Depending on the format, sessions can also include facilitated discussion and Q&A to deepen relevance and application.
Yes. Nis regularly speaks at leadership events, internal development programmes, client-facing sessions and conferences. Content is always calibrated to the audience, whether that is employees, leaders, or clients, ensuring relevance in context.
Most sessions run for 45–60 minutes. This can be followed by discussion or Q&A depending on the format and event design. Engagements are commonly delivered as part of conferences, leadership events, professional development programmes and curated organisational sessions.
Yes. Speaking engagements are delivered globally in person or virtually and in hybrid formats depending on the event requirements.
The process begins with a conversation about the purpose, audience, the event and the outcome you want the session to create. From there, an appropriate topic is selected from the existing portfolio or developed specifically for the context. The aim is always alignment between message, audience and moment.
Organisations engage Nis when they want a session that brings clarity, perspective and practical insight into how people think, communicate and perform under pressure. The focus is not on theory or motivation, but on guiding people to new thinking so they see familiar challenges differently and leave with ideas they can apply immediately.
Participants often describe the sessions as inspiring and energising, but the focus is on insight, perspective and practical application. The outcome is a shift in how people think about leadership, relationships, performance and decision-making, rather than a purely motivational experience.