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Adam Markel - <p data-start="293" data-end="417">Transformational business leader helping organizations become Change Proof.</p>

Adam Markel

Transformational business leader helping organizations become Change Proof.

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5 of 5

“The feedback from all corners is overwhelming. Thank you so much for sharing with us yesterday. I just came from yet another conversation where someone said you were the best keynote in the seven years they’ve been attending.”

Markel Valet Living

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Why book Adam Markel for your next event

  • Trusted advisor to Fortune 500 and Fortune 50 companies navigating change, culture shifts and sustainable growth.
  • Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling author delivering research-backed strategies for resilience and performance.
  • Dynamic keynote speaker blending neuroscience, business strategy and real-world leadership experience.

Non-binding request for Adam Markel

Resilience researcher, bestselling author and workforce futurist

Adam Markel is a transformational business leader, resilience researcher and workforce futurist who has spent more than two decades guiding global enterprises through change, culture transformation and sustainable growth. With experience as a C-suite executive, former commercial attorney and trusted advisor to Fortune 50 companies, Adam delivers practical, research-driven insights that help organizations become truly Change Proof. His keynotes equip leaders to build resilient cultures, avoid burnout and turn uncertainty into competitive advantage.

 

About Adam Markel

Adam Markel is a transformational business leader who helps organizations thrive in the face of constant disruption. For more than twenty years, he has worked alongside Fortune 500 companies and global enterprises to strengthen culture, accelerate growth and navigate complex change. His work centers on one essential capability: resilience.

As Co-Founder and Chief Researcher at WORKWELL, Adam leads research on workplace resilience and the future of work. His mission is clear: help organizations embed resilience into their DNA so they can adapt faster, perform better and sustain success over time. Through his research and advisory work, he equips leaders with strategies to avoid burnout, strengthen engagement and turn uncertainty into opportunity.

 

Adam Markel’s Executive Experience

Adam’s perspective is grounded in real-world experience. As a seasoned C-suite executive and former commercial attorney, he understands high-stakes environments from the inside. He built and led a successful multi-discipline law practice for nearly twenty years, advising clients on complex negotiations, risk management and strategic decision-making.

His corporate work includes capability building and leadership development with Fortune 50 organizations such as Citigroup, CVS Health and Home Depot. In addition, he has mentored dozens of CEOs and senior executives around the world on organizational development, culture creation and strategic resilience. This blend of executive leadership and legal expertise gives Adam rare insight into how decisions are made when the pressure is on.

 

Adam Markel – Bestselling Author and Thought Leader

Adam is a Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling author and Publishers Weekly bestseller. His books, including Pivot, Change Proof and Re-Culture, have become essential reading for leaders navigating today’s volatile business landscape.

His ideas have reached audiences worldwide through keynote stages, executive workshops and media appearances. The Huffington Post named him a top speaker to see. As a TEDx speaker and host of The Change Proof Podcast, Adam shares cutting-edge strategies with innovators and decision-makers across industries.

 

Book Adam Markel for Your Event

Adam Markel’s keynotes and executive workshops integrate:

  • Proven business strategy rooted in decades of executive experience

  • Neuroscience research explaining how resilience impacts performance

  • Organizational psychology that drives culture transformation

  • Practical tools leaders can apply immediately

His delivery combines sharp strategic insight with compelling storytelling. Drawing on lessons from the boardroom and from his life-and-death experiences as an ocean first responder, Adam brings authenticity and intensity to every stage. In that role, teamwork, rapid decision-making and unwavering resilience were non-negotiable. Those lessons now shape his leadership philosophy and resonate deeply with audiences at every level of an organization.

Whether addressing senior executives or front-line teams, Adam creates transformative learning experiences that inspire action. His sessions are designed to produce measurable results, aligning leadership behavior with long-term strategy and sustainable growth.

 

Adam Markel on Resilience and the Future of Work

At the heart of Adam’s work is the concept of becoming Change Proof. In a world defined by disruption, organizations must cultivate resilience as a strategic advantage.

Adam’s strategies help companies:

  • Strengthen cultures that support agility and innovation
  • Reduce burnout and improve workforce well-being
  • Equip leaders to make confident decisions under pressure
  • Align purpose, performance and long-term growth

His messages have inspired tens of thousands of organizations to reimagine what becomes possible when resilience is embedded into everyday operations. By combining rigorous research with practical execution, Adam empowers leaders to move beyond reactive change management and toward proactive transformation.

Grounded by his wife of more than thirty years and their four children, Adam brings both professional depth and personal perspective to his work. His approach is human, strategic and results-oriented.

Book Adam Markel for your event and give your audience the tools to lead with clarity, courage and resilience in a world that never stands still.

Adam Markel - <p data-start="293" data-end="417">Transformational business leader helping organizations become Change Proof.</p>

Customer Reviews

5 of 5

“The feedback from all corners is overwhelming. Thank you so much for sharing with us yesterday. I just came from yet another conversation where someone said you were the best keynote in the seven years they’ve been attending.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“It was awesome! Even a few weeks later, we’re still riding the wave and basking in the compliments. People were really engaged, and the feedback and requests for follow-up materials have been incredible. While many attendees expected something more like sales or company training, instead they got exactly what they truly wanted — something inspiring that would help them grow. It was a refreshing surprise and the perfect way to kick things off, setting the mindset and momentum for the rest of the conference.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“Such an amazing and inspiring session! We’ll take all of your advice and suggestions to make us more resilient. On top of being an amazing speaker, you and your team are also some of the nicest people that I’ve had the chance to work with.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“I’m so proud of the work that we did together. Adam absolutely held up to the high expectations I had and was the right person to resonate with our folks. And when I think back about my career, this is a highlight that makes me so happy. Our work together was so rewarding and helped so many people!”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“Adam is an amazing speaker who is able to keep the audience engaged all the time, even in a virtual session. He goes beyond by sharing his unique resilience assessment tool, which is a huge takeaway. He delivered great learnings in a true storytelling experience.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“Adam set the room on fire! During those 40 minutes he was on stage, he changed people’s lives. If you haven’t brought in Adam to meet with your teams, you’re missing out. I thought it was an incredible presentation.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“His attention to detail and ability to tailor his messaging to our audience really came through in his keynote address. His energy was contagious, and our audience was eager to participate and learn from him. Adam gave the group a lot to think about as we define the next chapter for the Dunkin’ Operations Team.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“Everyone absolutely loved it. ‘I’ve got your back’ has become part of our company lexicon—you can hear it in meetings now—it’s really taken off. The content really resonated with our team and tied perfectly to our overall theme. We’ve had big-name speakers before like Emmett Smith from the Cowboys, but this one struck a deeper chord. The feedback was over the top. The energy, motivation, and relevance were exactly what we needed after a tough year. Jimmy, our CEO, was thrilled and there’s been continued buzz and requests for more resources ever since. It was perfect from start to finish.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“We were looking for something that was different for our A/E/C Thrive Conference—something out of the box that would change the way people think. Adam delivered! The audience loved it—they were talking, engaging, and interacting with each other. Adam really knows how to pull people out and get them focused on the core issues.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“This was our best off-site leadership event in 15+ years. Adam’s session stood out among three perspectives on change management; his message really resonated the most with our leadership and they appreciated the simple, actionable framework. Adam’s talk was so valuable we feel it needs to be shared with the entire organization. We’re already integrating the takeaways and look forward to working together on a program that reinforces and maintains the momentum.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

“Adam hits the mark every time. We’ve actually brought Adam back because his energy is great, but his content is even better! He reminds us of everything that we need to be as leaders. I will definitely be working with him in the future.”

Adam Markel

5 of 5

We express our gratitude for such an amazing and inspiring session. We will of course take all of your advice and suggestions to make us more resilient. On top of being an amazing speaker, you and your team are also some of the nicest people that I’ve had the chance to work with. Thank you for that.

Mars Wrigley

Adam Markel

5 of 5

Adam JUST spoke to our group and I've already had people come up and tell me he is the BEST speaker that we have had of all of our sessions…and we've been doing this for over 30 years! He was dynamic and wonderful and we have really appreciated him being here. Thank you, Adam!

The Imaging Network Group (INg)

Adam Markel

5 of 5

Adam's message really resonated, so much so that it set the tone for the rest of the week, becoming a theme of every presentation and the hallway chatter. It was exactly what we needed at this moment. People were so excited after the event and even told us that this was the best meeting! The takeaways had real impact and, most importantly, fulfilled an important purpose of the meeting - to get buy-in on the future of our organization. You were a big part of that.

Medtronic

Adam Markel

5 of 5

The feedback from all corners is OVERWHELMING. Thank you so much for sharing with us yesterday. I JUST came from yet another conversation where someone said you were the best keynote in the 7 years they’ve been attending. I’ve heard a dozen or more people who have started their day with one or more of your recommendations.

Valet Living

Adam Markel

5 of 5

Adam couldn’t have been a better choice for our event. His message was very well received, as was evidenced by the standing ovation at the end. He really delivered for us, providing a nice toolkit that we could put into action quickly. The attendees felt very resourced in ways to increase performance. It’s clear that Adam is a mature, experienced and well-rounded speaker whose authenticity and transparency ensured his message really resonated and left everyone feeling that we as a company have their back.

Service Corporation International (SCI)

Adam Markel

5 of 5

Thank you immensely for your inspiring message at this year’s sales kickoff. Not only was it timely, it was well received by the group. I heard guys saying “I got your back” throughout the rest of the event. I look forward to where our team takes the message.

President, DuraServ

Adam Markel

5 of 5

It was great working with Adam. The feedback from the participants has been outstanding. One even described it as “life-changing.” His insights and perspectives were very timely for our team - at all levels. Moreover, I loved the roadmap of actionable advice he provided. Thanks again!

US Bank

Adam Markel

Rated 5.00/5 based on 18 customer reviews

Keynotes

Keynote by Adam Markel:

Adapt to Win: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Resilience to Lead Change & Fuel High Performance

The pace of disruption is now outpacing the pace of organizational adaptation — and the leaders who win are the ones who embed strategic resilience into the DNA of their culture. In this high-impact keynote, Adam Markel shows organizations how to move beyond reactive fire-drills and build a proactive capability for absorbing shocks, accelerating intelligent adaptation, and emerging stronger from every challenge. Drawing on insights from Re-Culture and two decades of research, Adam illustrates exactly how high-performing organizations operationalize resilience as a strategic advantage — across leadership, team dynamics, and decision-making.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Understand the critical difference between operational resilience and strategic resilience — and why long-term success requires both.

  • Learn leadership practices proven to increase adaptability, psychological safety, and team-wide agility.

  • Gain frameworks to embed resilience into culture, strategy, and operations for consistent high performance during transformation.

  • Leave with a practical roadmap for building organizations that don’t just withstand change — they capitalize on it.

This keynote gives your people a clear, repeatable blueprint for building systems, habits, and cultures that thrive in uncertainty. Attendees walk away equipped to lead with greater confidence, elevate team performance, and future-proof the business in a world where the only constant is change.

Request a quote: Adam Markel Adapt to Win: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Resilience to Lead Change & Fuel High Performance

Keynote by Adam Markel:

Resilience by Design: How to Future-Proof Teams & Thrive Through Uncertainty

Today’s workforce is under unprecedented pressure — rising expectations, constant change, and near-continuous transformation. Performance now requires more than skills; it requires Change Resilience — the ability to adapt, recover, and excel in real time. In this energizing keynote, Adam Markel delivers a powerful, research-backed approach to building resilient people and resilient cultures that perform at the highest levels without burning out.

Through compelling stories and actionable tools, your organization will learn how to elevate well-being as a business strategy, reduce turnover, and create a culture where people consistently bring their best — because they have the capacity to do so. This talk is designed for leaders and individual contributors alike, giving everyone a common language and a shared framework for sustainable, repeatable high performance.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Break through change resistance and empower teams to embrace innovation instead of fearing it.

  • Learn the four domains of resilience — mental, emotional, physical, and spirit-driven — and how they drive sustainable performance.

  • Discover practical strategies to increase energy, focus, and productivity without sacrificing health or engagement.

  • Reinforce a culture where well-being is viewed not as a perk, but as a performance multiplier.

This is the keynote that transforms how teams work, lead, and grow — not by doing more, but by becoming more resilient by design.

Request a quote: Adam Markel Resilience by Design: How to Future-Proof Teams & Thrive Through Uncertainty

Keynote by Adam Markel:

The Change-Proof Advantage: Equipping Teams to Embrace Change, Recover Smarter, & Create What’s Next

Change is no longer an event — it’s the environment. In this top-rated keynote, Adam Markel equips organizations with the proven strategies needed to embrace uncertainty, reduce burnout, and build teams capable of sustained high performance in the face of nonstop change.
Drawing from Change Proof and decades of leadership experience, Adam reveals how the world’s most adaptable organizations cultivate resilience across every level of the business — mental, emotional, physical, relational, and cultural. He shows leaders how to create a “Got Your Back” culture of trust and support that accelerates collaboration, innovation, and long-term success.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Foster innovation by creating conditions where creativity thrives — even in pressure-filled environments.

  • Identify and prevent burnout using practical tools your leaders and teams can implement immediately.

  • Build individual and collective resilience to perform at a high level during continuous change.

  • Strengthen team cohesion, trust, and accountability through a “Got Your Back” cultural framework.

  • Drive consistent success with systems that create sustainable, repeatable performance.

This keynote transforms how organizations approach change — moving from reactive to proactive, from stressed to strong, and from disrupted to change-proof.

Request a quote: Adam Markel The Change-Proof Advantage: Equipping Teams to Embrace Change, Recover Smarter, & Create What’s Next

Keynote by Adam Markel:

Re-Culture: The Got Your Back Blueprint

Building Trust-Driven Teams That Attract, Retain, and Thrive

At a time when talent is scarce, burnout is rising, and engagement is declining, organizations need more than perks or policies — they need a culture that creates belonging, trust, and loyalty. In this transformative keynote, Adam Markel delivers the central message of his new book Re-Culture: the most successful organizations are those that intentionally design a “Got Your Back” culture, where people feel supported, valued, and safe to perform at their highest level.

Adam reveals a practical, evidence-based blueprint for building cultures that attract top talent, strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and unlock innovation. These are the cultural foundations that turn organizations into talent magnets — and teams into communities that thrive.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Build resilience into your culture, enabling employees to navigate pressure and change with confidence.

  • Discover why trust and psychological safety are the ultimate differentiators in today’s talent marketplace.

  • Learn how to significantly boost engagement through belonging, communication, and shared purpose.

  • Identify early signs of burnout and deploy systems for creating sustainable, high-performing teams.

  • Activate a culture where retention is the outcome — not the goal.

This keynote is a culture-shaping experience that helps organizations create environments where people don’t just stay — they grow, contribute, and thrive.

Request a quote: Adam Markel Re-Culture: The Got Your Back Blueprint

Keynote by Adam Markel:

Turning AI Anxiety into Innovation: Build a Culture of Innovation & Future-Ready Workforce

AI is reshaping the world of work faster than most organizations can adapt — creating both unprecedented opportunities and very real fears. In this timely and forward-thinking keynote, Adam Markel helps leaders and teams turn AI anxiety into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage.

Adam demystifies AI’s impact on work, well-being, culture, and performance, offering a human-first framework for integrating AI in ways that enhance—not replace—human potential. Organizations leave with a roadmap for building adaptable, future-ready teams that use AI to reduce burnout, increase creativity, and strengthen productivity.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Clearly understand the role AI will play in workflows, leadership, employee experience, and cross-functional operations.

  • Learn how AI-enhanced processes can improve mental health, reduce stress, and create sustainable work-life balance.

  • Equip teams with tools to adapt faster, think more creatively, and embrace technology with confidence.

  • Build resilience as a competitive edge during the accelerating pace of technological change.

  • Transform fear and uncertainty into growth, learning, and future-focused innovation.

This keynote empowers organizations to build a workforce that doesn’t resist the future — but creates it.

Request a quote: Adam Markel Turning AI Anxiety into Innovation: Build a Culture of Innovation & Future-Ready Workforce

Keynote by Adam Markel:

From Burnout to Breakthrough

Strategies for Protecting Profit, Performance & People

Burnout isn’t just a wellness issue — it’s a profitability crisis. Organizations lose an estimated $322 billion annually to burnout-related turnover, disengagement, and reduced productivity. Yet most leaders still treat burnout as an individual problem rather than what it truly is: a systemic, solvable business challenge with measurable ROI.

In this transformative keynote, Adam Markel delivers the business case and the blueprint for burnout avoidance — equipping leaders with research-backed strategies that protect performance, reduce attrition, and unlock sustainable competitive advantage. Drawing from Re-Culture, Change Proof, and two decades of organizational resilience research, Adam reveals why the world’s highest-performing companies embed burnout prevention into their culture, operations, and leadership practices — and exactly how your organization can do the same.

This is not a lecture on self-care. This is a strategic framework for building resilient, high-capacity teams that consistently outperform without burning out. Adam shows leaders how to identify early-stage burnout signals, implement tangible energy management systems, and create a “Got Your Back” culture where people feel supported, engaged, and equipped to thrive under pressure.

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Understand the true cost of burnout — and the ROI of preventing it, including measurable impacts on retention, healthcare costs, productivity, and innovation.

  • Learn the four domains of resilience that fuel sustainable performance: mental clarity, emotional regulation, physical energy, and purpose-driven motivation.

  • Gain practical, immediately actionable tools for reducing team stress, managing workload intensity, and building recovery rhythms into daily operations.

  • Discover how to build a “Got Your Back” culture that reduces isolation, strengthens trust, and creates environments where burnout is systematically avoided.

  • Identify burnout warning signs before they escalate — and deploy early intervention strategies that protect both people and performance.

  • Leave with a repeatable system for embedding burnout prevention into leadership development, team norms, and organizational design.

This is the keynote that turns burnout from an inevitable cost into a preventable risk — and resilience into your organization’s most powerful competitive advantage.

Request a quote: Adam Markel From Burnout to Breakthrough

Keynote by Adam Markel:

Resilience Re-defined

The word resilience has become a bit of a buzzword, especially in the context of hiring speakers for corporate events. Companies often use it to address mental toughness, adaptability, and overcoming challenges in the workplace. It’s become a go-to term, but it can feel overused or hollow if not presented in a fresh, meaningful way. Adam’s keynotes go Beyond the Buzzword and Focus on Practical Application. Instead of just talking about "resilience," he offers strategies for building sustainable mental habits, coping with change, and developing strategic resilience and adaptability. Among the tangible takeaways and key learning objectives, Adam will:

  • Contextualizes Resilience in the Modern Workplace: For example, discuss resilience in a hybrid or remote work environment or how it relates to managing burnout, both topics are very relevant in today's work culture.
  • Reframes Resilience with Fresh Language & Metaphors: Adam introduces modern, actionable concepts like “Dynamic Adaptability” or the “Bounce-Forward Strategy” to give resilience new meaning. He uses vivid metaphors, like trees growing stronger after a storm, to make complex ideas relatable and memorable.

  • Spotlight Related Traits That Support Resilience: Highlight concepts like cognitive flexibility and emotional agility, essential skills that help individuals adapt to challenges without losing momentum. Emphasize mental fitness and well-being as proactive foundations for resilience, not just reactive responses to stress.

  • Ground Resilience in Science and Evidence: Explains the neuroscience behind resilience, how the brain processes stress and how habits can rewire our response. Back insights with data and real-world case studies to show how resilient cultures are built and sustained.

  • Make It Personal Through Storytelling: Uses authentic stories and real examples to bring resilience to life, making it relatable, memorable, and more than just a buzzword. This approach adds depth and reinforces your credibility as someone who’s lived and applied these
    Principles. 

Request a quote: Adam Markel Resilience Re-defined

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