Available to book
Adrian Furnham
Improve leadership, talent management, and workplace decision-making with organisational and applied psychologist Adrian Furnham. A former Professor of Psychology at UCL, he is the author of 99 books and over 1,500 academic articles, recognised as one of HR Magazine's 20 Most Influential People in HR.
Adrian Furnham is Principal Psychologist at Stamford Associates and one of the most published psychologists in the world.
Adrian studied at the London School of Economics and Oxford University, earning an MSc Econ and D.Phil, followed by D.Sc and D.Litt degrees. He has held academic and visiting positions at institutions including Pembroke College Oxford, the University of New South Wales, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Adrian's research and writing, spanning 99 books and over 1,500 peer-reviewed papers, examines why people behave as they do at work: what drives performance, wellbeing, teamwork and office politics, and how organisations can select, develop and retain talent more effectively. He has written columns for the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Telegraph, and was named one of HR Magazine's 20 Most Influential People in HR.
Audiences leave his sessions with a clearer, evidence-based understanding of the psychology behind everyday workplace decisions, from hiring and negotiation to change and burnout. His combination of academic research and consulting experience gives audiences evidence-based ideas that apply directly to people and organisational challenges.
Book Adrian for a keynote grounded in decades of research and a genuine talent for making psychology practical.
Topics, sessions and talks
Adrian explores the different roles people naturally play within teams, and compares the strengths and weaknesses of team decision-making against individual decision-making. He sets out what separates healthy, high-functioning team dynamics from unhealthy ones, drawing on years of research into group behaviour and performance at work. Audiences leave with a sharper understanding of their own team roles and preferences, along with practical, evidence-based ways to build higher-performing, better-functioning teams across an organisation.
Adrian examines what actually causes office politics to develop, and draws a clear line between destructive political manoeuvring and genuine organisational savvy. He introduces practical ways to measure and recognise political behaviour at work, drawing on years of research into workplace dynamics and influence. The session gives audiences a franker, more useful understanding of office politics than most business books offer, along with practical ways to navigate it without losing their integrity.
Adrian sets out six well-established strategies of persuasion and walks through the distinct phases of a successful negotiation, including the small nudges and tactics skilled negotiators rely on to shift outcomes in their favour. Rooted in psychological research rather than sales folklore or gut instinct, the session equips audiences with a clearer, evidence-based toolkit for influencing outcomes, whether in a high-stakes boardroom negotiation or an everyday workplace conversation with colleagues or clients.
Adrian asks whether creativity can genuinely be defined and measured, and explores what distinguishes the creative person from the creative process itself, and from the wider organisational conditions that support it. He sets out practical, evidence-based ways organisations can increase creativity and innovation, moving well beyond familiar brainstorming cliches and quick fixes. Audiences leave with a research-grounded understanding of where creativity actually comes from, and usable ways to cultivate more of it at work.
Adrian examines how the different generations at work are typically described, questions the popular narrative around "problematic millennials," and places generational change within the wider context of the ageing process and shifting career stages. Combining research evidence with a healthy scepticism of generational stereotypes, he helps audiences separate genuine shifts in attitudes and expectations from media myth-making and workplace folklore. The session leaves managers better equipped to lead genuinely mixed-age, mixed-experience teams with confidence.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Adrian Furnham, email adrian.furnham@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Adrian's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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