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Jonathan Griffiths
Jonathan Griffiths helps organisations build kinder, more human workplaces, drawing on original research into empathy and leadership. A workplace culture speaker and podcast host, Jonathan was named PSA Emerging Speaker of the Year 2026.
Jonathan Griffiths is a UK-based keynote speaker and researcher who helps organisations spot, celebrate, and hold on to the brilliant humans already working inside them every day.
He was named PSA Emerging Speaker of the Year 2026 for Be More Fudge, a talk built on his own research and named after his dog. Before speaking, Jonathan spent over two decades in senior marketing leadership, including director-level roles for the Official Hospitality programmes at the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
That career gave Jonathan a close view of how organisations perform at their best, and what unravels when they do not. His Brilliant Humans research set out to name that pattern precisely, gathering views from people worldwide on what makes someone genuinely brilliant to work with. Fifty-four per cent named kindness and empathy first, ahead of any technical skill.
Jonathan brings that research to the stage through three signature talks: Be More Fudge, Ignore The Algorithms, and From Crisis To Prosperity. Audiences leave with a practical way to spot disengagement early, evidence that kindness is more common than it feels, and a framework for rebuilding trust.
Book Jonathan for an event that wants people to leave kinder, more connected, and ready to trust each other again.
Topics, sessions and talks
The keynote of feeling. Mr Fudge was Jonathan Griffiths' dog, a cockapoo with no interest in performing, impressing, or being anything other than himself. It's the story of a burnt-out marketing leader, a dog who knew what good looked like before the data did, and what happened when Jonathan listened. Available as a 20-minute inspiration slot or a 30–60 minute keynote. Ideal for all-hands events, sales kickoffs, culture summits, and leadership offsites.
The keynote of perception. Humans are wired for negativity, and the platforms we live inside exploit that wiring. But Jonathan Griffiths' research found eighty-nine per cent of people say those around them are good and kind, and eighty-one per cent had an act of kindness make their day better recently. The world is kinder than your feed suggests. Available as a 20-minute inspiration slot or a 30–60 minute keynote. Ideal for leadership summits, culture and HR conferences, and all-hands events.
The keynote of utility. What happens to a team when fear replaces trust? Jonathan Griffiths has been in that room himself, not as a consultant. Built on the HABITS framework (Humanity, Accountability, Bravery, Integrity, Transparency, Sustainability), Jonathan offers a practical toolkit for leaders building high-trust teams, or rescuing ones already in trouble. Available as a keynote (30–60 mins), a half or full-day workshop, or a panel contribution. Ideal for HR conferences, leadership development programmes, and teams navigating permacrisis.
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frequently asked questions
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To book Jonathan Griffiths, email jonathan.griffiths@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 Jonathan'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.
Jonathan Griffiths structures his talks around original research — the Brilliant Humans study gathered data from respondents worldwide on what makes someone genuinely brilliant to work with — and grounds each keynote in a named framework or finding drawn directly from that body of work.
Jonathan Griffiths speaks on authentic leadership and burnout recovery, algorithmic negativity bias and human kindness, and high-trust team building through the HABITS framework. He was named PSA Emerging Speaker of the Year 2026 for Be More Fudge, a talk built on his own Brilliant Humans research, which found 54 per cent of respondents named kindness and empathy as the defining quality of a brilliant colleague, ahead of any technical skill.
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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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