Anita Mendiratta

Who is Anita Mendiratta?

Anita Mendiratta is a globally trusted strategic advisor, author, speaker and thought leader working with senior decision-makers during periods of profound challenge, change and opportunity. As Founder and President of ANITA MENDIRATTA & ASSOCIATES, she has spent more than 30 years advising governments, global institutions and industry leaders across over 100 countries.

Her work spans leadership development, tourism, aviation and sustainable growth, with one constant at its centre: the human dimension of leadership. Anita understands that strategy alone is rarely enough when leaders are facing uncertainty. Decisions must also account for confidence, wellbeing, responsibility, trust and the people affected by change.

Her influence has been recognised through distinctions including “Most Influential Women in Tourism”, “Top 25 Inspirational Executives in Travel and Hospitality”, “Top 25 Executives to Watch in 2025” and “Top 10 Business Leaders Driving Global Change in 2025”. Her work, however, is grounded in the trust placed in her by leaders who seek perspective when decisions carry significant consequences.

Book speaker Anita Mendiratta for a keynote that connects global experience with the realities leaders face when they need to act with clarity, courage and compassion.

Advisor to governments and global institutions

Anita Mendiratta’s work reaches some of the highest levels of international leadership. She serves as Special Advisor to the Secretary General of UN Tourism, formerly UNWTO, and is a strategic resource to the World Bank, the World Travel & Tourism Council, the International Air Transport Association, the Air Transport Action Group and ICCA.

Her experience also includes national and regional transformation initiatives. Anita is a Founding Advisory Board Member of the Royal Commission for AlUla in Saudi Arabia and previously served as Special Advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Alongside her advisory work, she contributes to the development of future leaders through academia. Anita is Executive in Residence at the University of Surrey and Visiting Professor at Cranfield University, where she brings practical, real-world leadership insight into academic environments.

These roles give Anita a perspective that moves across public policy, business, tourism, aviation, education and sustainable development. She understands the pressures leaders face when global challenges become immediate organisational decisions, and she brings that understanding directly into her speaking and facilitation.

Leadership in moments that matter

As a multi-published author, Anita Mendiratta explores leadership beyond frameworks and theory. Her globally acclaimed and award-winning book The Call to Leadership examines what it takes to lead with courage, clarity and compassion during times of disruption.

The book offers insight into the inner world of high-level leaders, including the emotional, psychological and ethical dimensions of decision-making that often remain outside public view. This perspective also shapes Anita’s keynote speaking. She speaks to leaders as people carrying responsibility, pressure and expectation, helping audiences consider how strong leadership is sustained when certainty is unavailable.

Her focus on leadership wellbeing is closely connected to this work. Anita recognises that sustainable performance depends on leaders who are grounded, resilient and connected to purpose. For organisations navigating transformation, crisis or recovery, her message brings together strategic thinking and the human strength needed to act on it.

A trusted media voice

Anita Mendiratta is also a frequent contributor to international media, where she provides perspective on leadership in crisis, global recovery and the wellbeing challenges facing leaders.

Her media appearances include:

• BBC
• Bloomberg
• CNBC
• Euronews
• Sky News
• TRT
• ITV
• France24
• Other international media outlets

Her ability to communicate complex global issues with clarity has made her a trusted voice both on air and in live settings. She brings the same composure to a keynote stage that she brings to international broadcasting: calm under pressure, sensitivity to context and a clear understanding of what matters to the audience.

For event organisers, this translates into a speaker who is comfortable addressing complex subjects without losing the human connection. Anita can move between high-level global context and the personal realities of leadership, making her relevant to executives, policymakers, industry professionals, academics and wider leadership audiences.

On stage, on air and in the room

When you book Anita Mendiratta for your event, you engage a keynote speaker, moderator, facilitator and strategic guide with decades of international experience.

Anita is trusted to moderate and facilitate high-level government, UN, industry, business and academic summits around the world. These environments demand diplomacy, preparation, nuance and the ability to create meaningful conversation between people with different priorities and perspectives.

Her presence on stage is calm, credible and purposeful. She connects strategy with humanity, global context with personal responsibility and major organisational questions with the individuals expected to lead through them.

Whether delivering a keynote, moderating a panel or guiding an executive dialogue, Anita works to elevate confidence, create connection and help audiences see a clearer path through uncertainty. Her experience allows her to address leadership challenges from both an institutional and deeply human perspective.

Wellbeing, purpose and responsible impact

At the heart of Anita Mendiratta’s work is a commitment to leadership wellbeing and responsible impact. She understands that long-term results depend on leaders who can remain resilient, grounded and purpose-driven while navigating pressure and uncertainty.

That commitment extends beyond her advisory and speaking work. Through The Anita Mendiratta Foundation, she supports access to education for children in tourism-dependent countries, connecting global leadership with meaningful impact at a local level.

For audiences facing uncertainty, transformation, renewal or increased responsibility, Anita Mendiratta brings perspective built across more than 100 countries and over three decades of leadership advisory work. Her approach combines strategic insight with empathy and places equal importance on what leaders decide and how they lead through the process.

Book Anita Mendiratta for your event to create a conversation around leadership that is relevant, human and grounded in real-world experience. She helps audiences approach moments of change with greater confidence, clarity, compassion and conviction when those qualities matter most.