Keynote SpeakersBelinda Parmar OBE is a renowned expert on empathy, AI, Diversity and Inclusion.
CEO of The Empathy Business, Belinda is a renowned diversity campaigner and a Non-Executive Director for the Ministry of Defence.
Belinda uses the science of empathy to change the way companies transform their organisations, focusing on leadership, communications and operations.
She created the Global Empathy Index, published in the Harvard Business Review – the first index to measure empathy and inclusion at scale.
Belinda works with large companies to implement hundreds of ‘nudges’ and interventions that organically build an empathy revolution and give people simple, practical ways to create more inclusive cultures.
Her focus is on belonging and diversity and creating more courageous cultures.
“Belinda’s keynote is perfect for those who want to be responsible pioneers of the human revolution at work.”
Sarwjit Sambhi, former CEO of British Gas
Belinda was Empathy-In-Residence at Barclays, Lloyds and Centrica, and she created the first-ever Empathy Hub in Europe’s largest bank. Belinda was chosen in 2019 to speak at Davos as she is a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum.
Furthermore, she was awarded an OBE in 2015 by the Queen for her services to Women in Technology.
In 2020, she was chosen as one of the top 20 Global Public Figures in Diversity and 2021, she was voted a top 20 Diversity Champion.
Belinda has a law and a language degree and believes that the magic in companies happens when you combine rational and emotional thinking to drive change.
Belinda is the author of Little Miss Geek, which is used in schools to inspire young women to become tech pioneers.
As a keynote speaker, Belinda’s popular speech themes include ‘AI and the role of the Human’ and ‘Transforming the corporate world with Empathy and Diversity’.
Belinda Parmar OBE – Speaking Topics:
- Responsible and Empathic Leadership
- Empathic AI and The Future of Work
- Diversity & Inclusion
The world of work has changed forever. It took a global pandemic for us to realise that the world of work was not fit for purpose. Before the pandemic, a Gallup study highlighted that only one in ten was engaged in our work. During the pandemic, we saw employee engagement rise, but in 2024, we saw the lowest employee engagement levels in over a decade.
Emotional burnout is higher than ever, trust is at an all-time low, and hybrid working creates new challenges. Leaders have to manage five different generations and navigate the demands of Gen Z, whose most important factor for choosing an employer is to feel they belong.
The good news is there is an appetite for innovative ways of working and thinking. Colleagues and customers now demand a new style of leadership that is more emotionally literate and empathic.
What will Belinda cover in her talk?
- AI and Leadership: How the world of work has transformed, the role of Empathic AI and what this means for leaders.
- Science and Myths around Empathy: The difference between empathy and sympathy and how to be empathic whilst building a culture of accountability.
- EQ-in-Action: Examples of how Belinda embedded empathy-at-scale at some of the biggest companies in the world using behavioural science and ‘empathy nudges’ with my clients and measured the commercial impact.
