Lynne Franks
Global changemaker and pioneer of feminine leadership shaping the future of business and society.
Why book Lynne Franks for your next event
- Founder of London Fashion Week and a visionary who translates cultural shifts into strategic advantage.
- Creator of SEED and global advocate for human-centred, values-led leadership and sustainable growth.
- Trusted by brands like McDonald’s, Tesco and HSBC to strengthen women’s engagement and leadership impact.
Non-binding request for Lynne Franks
Changemaker, Futurist and Pioneer of Feminine Leadership
Lynne Franks OBE is a globally recognised changemaker, futurist and pioneer of feminine leadership. From founding London Fashion Week to advising global brands on cultural shifts and women’s engagement, she has spent her career shaping the intersection of business, media and social change. Today, she inspires organisations to lead with purpose, connection and courage in a rapidly evolving world.
Lynne Franks – Changemaker and Cultural Pioneer
Lynne Franks OBE is known worldwide as a changemaker, futurist and pioneer of feminine leadership. Across four decades, she has worked at the forefront of cultural evolution, helping organisations understand social change, anticipate emerging movements and translate them into meaningful impact. Her work spans fashion, media, enterprise, activism and leadership, always guided by a deep belief in human potential and values-led progress.
A natural innovator, Lynne founded the UK’s most successful fashion PR agency at the age of just 21. With instinct, courage and an eye for cultural momentum, she built a platform that transformed how British fashion was seen at home and abroad. She went on to initiate London Fashion Week, playing a pivotal role in positioning Britain as a global force in fashion, creativity and enterprise.
Working at the intersection of culture, media and business gave Lynne a rare ability to anticipate trends before they reached the mainstream. She recognised early that social movements, shifting values and new narratives would shape not only society, but markets, leadership and organisational strategy. This foresight continues to define her work today.
From Enterprise to Advocacy
Lynne’s advisory work with major organisations including McDonald’s, Tesco, HSBC and NEXT has focused on women’s engagement, leadership and values-driven strategy. She supports organisations in understanding their people as deeply as their customers, creating alignment between culture, brand and purpose.
Her commercial expertise sits alongside a strong commitment to advocacy. In 1995, she created What Women Want, the UK’s first major women’s conference and festival, staged at London’s Southbank. The event brought together business leaders, policymakers, activists and creatives to explore women’s lives in a rapidly changing world. Topics ranged from work and money to media, power and voice.
Widely regarded as ahead of its time, What Women Want helped shape the national conversation on women, equality and leadership. In 2025, reflecting its continued relevance, the initiative relaunched at the Houses of Parliament to address the challenges and opportunities facing women and society today.
The SEED Framework
As the founder of SEED (Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics), Lynne introduced a globally respected framework that champions a more collaborative, human-centred and sustainable approach to business. Her internationally published book, The SEED Handbook: The Feminine Way to Create Business, pioneered the practical application of feminine principles such as connection, collaboration, intuition and purpose within enterprise.
Since establishing SEED, Lynne has championed women’s leadership across the world. Her work has taken her from post-war Bosnia to rural South African villages, from women’s prisons to corporate boardrooms. In each setting, she empowers women to recognise their influence, reclaim their voice and step into leadership on their own terms.
Her approach is grounded, strategic and deeply human. She speaks about leadership as a living practice, shaped by empathy, courage and responsibility. For organisations navigating transformation, her insights offer clarity and direction in times of complexity.
A Lifelong Social Advocate
Throughout her career, Lynne has initiated and supported influential campaigns across human rights, women’s safety and social justice. She understands the power of culture and storytelling as catalysts for change and uses both to challenge outdated systems and inspire new possibilities.
In 2018, Lynne was awarded an OBE for her services to business, fashion and women’s empowerment, recognising her lasting contribution across sectors.
Now based in Somerset, she leads the SEED Wellbeing Hub and SEED Hub Club. From here, she continues to mentor, write and speak internationally, sharing the wisdom of a lifetime spent at the edge of change. Her mission remains clear: to enable women to become changemakers in their own lives and to support organisations in building a more conscious, collaborative and sustainable future.
Book Lynne Franks for Your Event
Booking Lynne Franks means bringing decades of lived experience, strategic insight and cultural foresight to your audience. She speaks with authority, warmth and conviction about the future of leadership, women’s empowerment, social change and values-led business.
Whether addressing corporate leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs or community changemakers, Lynne challenges audiences to rethink power, redefine success and lead with purpose. Her keynotes leave listeners energised, reflective and ready to act.
Keynotes
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
What’s Really Changing — and Why It Matters
The future doesn’t arrive suddenly — it forms quietly.
Drawing on over five decades shaping and interpreting culture, Lynne reveals how values-led shifts — around sustainability, identity, power, and wellbeing — emerge long before they become trends. As an influencer before the word existed, she shows how changemakers shape culture from the inside out.
In this keynote, Lynne unpacks the subtle signals that most organisations overlook. She explores how generational attitudes, social movements, and shifting expectations around work and leadership quietly reshape markets and institutions. Audiences gain a deeper understanding of how to read these signals early, respond with clarity, and position themselves ahead of change rather than scrambling to catch up.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Why the Old Business Model Is Breaking
What built yesterday’s success is blocking tomorrow’s.
With firsthand experience inside fashion, media, and enterprise, Lynne explains why extractive, profit-only models are losing trust, relevance, and talent — and how future-fit organisations are evolving towards purpose, responsibility, and resilience.
She shares real-world insights into the growing disconnect between traditional corporate structures and today’s workforce and consumers. Lynne outlines what is replacing outdated models: collaborative cultures, transparent leadership, and long-term thinking. This keynote challenges leaders to rethink how value is created — and to redesign their organisations for endurance, not just quarterly results.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Purpose Isn’t Optional Anymore
Purpose isn’t branding — it’s infrastructure.
From championing ethical fashion decades before it was mainstream to supporting values-led founders, Lynne tracks how purpose became an economic force — and why organisations that fake it are being left behind.
Lynne explores how purpose shapes decision-making, attracts talent, and builds loyalty in a world where transparency is constant. She explains the difference between surface-level messaging and deeply embedded values, offering practical insight into how purpose can drive innovation, trust, and sustained growth.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Seeing the Pattern Before the Trend
Trends follow culture. Culture follows values.
Based on a career spent influencing taste, media narratives, and consumer behaviour, Lynne shares how pattern recognition really works — and how leaders can learn to sense what’s coming next, not just react to it.
This keynote breaks down the art and discipline of foresight. Lynne explains how to observe weak signals, connect unexpected dots, and interpret cultural undercurrents before they become obvious. Leaders leave with a sharper lens for decision-making and a renewed confidence in navigating uncertainty.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Women, Power and the Next Economy
Different values create different systems.
Informed by decades empowering women through the SEED Programme, Lynne explores why women-led enterprises prioritise collaboration, sustainability, and long-term impact — and what this reveals about the future of economics and power.
She examines how feminine principles such as connection, empathy, and shared leadership are reshaping business models and communities worldwide. This keynote highlights the economic and social implications of women’s leadership and offers a powerful perspective on what a more balanced system of power could look like.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Redefining Success
If success is burning people out, it’s already failed.
Drawing on her own transformation and work with founders and leaders, Lynne challenges outdated definitions of growth and achievement — offering future-focused models that align performance with wellbeing and meaning.
Lynne invites audiences to question the metrics they use to measure progress. She explores sustainable ambition, regenerative business practices, and leadership approaches that protect energy rather than deplete it. The result is a compelling case for success that strengthens both people and performance.
Keynote by Lynne Franks:
Leadership Without the Old Certainties
Control is obsolete. Connection is not.
From hierarchical leadership to human-centred influence, Lynne explains how leadership has changed — and why empathy, intuition, and emotional intelligence are now strategic capabilities for navigating complexity and change.
In this keynote, Lynne outlines the shift from command-and-control to collaborative leadership. She demonstrates how trust, authenticity, and emotional awareness create stronger teams and more adaptive organisations. Audiences leave with a clear understanding of the capabilities required to lead in uncertain times — and the confidence to embody them.
The return of the wise woman: Lynne Franks at TEDxWhitehallWomen
Watch Lynne Franks in action!
Lynne Franks Interview at AYUDH 14th European Youth Summit
Watch Lynne Franks in action!
