Top Alternative Keynotes Speakers to Will Guidara

Fred Sirieix

Fred Sirieix is the closest like-for-like alternative on the roster. Best known as the maître d' on Channel 4's First Dates, he has spent over 25 years in hospitality and speaks directly to customer service, CX, and service excellence. He founded National Waiters Day and the Art of Service training tool, and his mantra, "enjoy life, learn forever and make a difference," runs through every talk. For organisers who loved the premise of Unreasonable Hospitality but want a UK-based speaker with broadcast recognition, Fred is the natural fit.

Christina Tosi

Christina Tosi is Guidara's wife and the founder of Milk Bar, and she brings her own distinct take on hospitality through brand-building rather than fine dining service. Her story covers scaling a personal creative vision into a national bakery business, and she speaks to innovation, culinary entrepreneurship, and building a brand people feel loyal to. A strong booking for events that want the Guidara world with a different discipline and a female voice.

Rob Lawless

Rob Lawless built his platform on a single idea: spend one hour with 10,000 strangers. Since 2015 he has had meaningful conversations with over 6,000 people across 90+ countries, and he distils what he has learned into the FRIEND framework, a practical tool for building rapport and connection at work. Where Guidara's talks centre on hospitality as a business philosophy, Lawless goes straight to the human interaction underneath it, making him a strong option for events focused on culture, inclusion, and team belonging.

Rod Berger

Dr. Rod Berger has conducted nearly 4,000 interviews, from Pope Francis to Magic Johnson, and built a career around storytelling as a tool for trust and leadership. With a doctorate in clinical psychology and a background in journalism, he brings a research-backed lens to communication that pairs well with Guidara's people-first message, from the angle of narrative and brand identity alongside service delivery.

Neil West

Neil West spent 25 years shaping digital music and content, including leading Apple's music team through the growth of iTunes and the launch of Apple Music. His talks draw management lessons from Apple and The Beatles, focusing on team-building and guiding people through change. He is a good option for organisers who want the leadership and culture threads from Guidara's talks with a technology and innovation backdrop.

José Andrés

José Andrés pairs chef credentials with a humanitarian mission through World Central Kitchen, turning hospitality into a global relief operation rather than a restaurant floor. PepTalk booked José for the Docebo Impact conference in 2026, where he was a huge success and wowed the audience. He's a strong fit for events that want a more mission-driven, resilience-focused take on service.

Interested in booking José? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer is Guidara's mentor and the founder of Union Square Hospitality Group. His book Setting the Table is the philosophical predecessor to Unreasonable Hospitality, built around his "enlightened hospitality" model of who a business should prioritise and why. For organisers who want the source material alongside the protégé, Danny is a wonderful choice.

Interested in booking Danny? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Daniel Humm

Daniel Humm was Guidara's co-chef at Eleven Madison Park for over a decade, and the two built the restaurant into the world's best together before taking different paths. Daniel's more recent story, including EMP's shift to a fully plant-based menu, brings a different narrative around risk, reinvention, and holding a vision through public criticism.

Interested in booking Daniel? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Gabrielle Hamilton

Gabrielle Hamilton ran Prune in New York until closing it mid-pandemic in 2020, and is also a genuinely accomplished writer, with a memoir (Blood, Bones & Butter) that's more literary than most chef books. She's a wonderful option for an event that wants substance and literary craft at its centre.

Interested in booking Gabrielle? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Priya Parker

Priya Parker wrote The Art of Gathering and is arguably the closest non-chef parallel to Guidara's work: designing experiences and human connection, just from an events and facilitation angle rather than a restaurant floor. She's a strong fit for organisers who want the philosophy of intentional hospitality applied directly to their own events and meetings.

Interested in booking Priya? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Chip Conley

Chip Conley founded Joie de Vivre, a boutique hotel group, then became head of hospitality at Airbnb, bridging traditional hotel thinking with platform and tech thinking. He's a good option for events that want the hospitality lens applied to modern, tech-driven business models.

Interested in booking Chip? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Horst Schulze

Horst Schulze co-founded Ritz-Carlton and wrote Excellence Wins, bringing a standards-driven approach to service refined over decades in luxury hospitality. He's a strong choice for organisers who want gravitas and decades of proof behind every point.

Interested in booking Horst? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.