In 2023, facing the emotional challenge of her mother’s declining dementia, Jackie Handy embarked on her first Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across northwest Spain. This experience deepened her understanding of human connection, courage, resilience under pressure, and blisters!

The profound lessons she learned on this journey, combined with her professional insights, led to the development of the A-Frame Concept—a comprehensive methodology designed to enhance team dynamics, foster inclusion and belonging, and create happier, more productive workforces.

The A-Frame Concept is a practical solution that includes the Pilgrim Principles, a set of guidelines to improve team cohesion, boost morale, and elevate performance. Additionally, the DASH Method offers a structured approach to facilitating effective and inclusive conversations within organisations.

Jackie Handy leverages the latest research on leadership, engagement, and belonging to address gaps in traditional management methods that may cost organisations revenue and productivity.

Her work is vital in a world where workforce connection is more critical than ever. Research indicates that fewer than 1 in 5 people globally are actively engaged in their work—a statistic Jackie is determined to change.

She now helps leaders, teams and organisations with the strategies and tools to help them ‘crack the connection code’, so their people don’t just work next to each other, but with and for each other. She helps teams create belonging, without buzzwords. Providing clear, human strategies for team success.

Through her innovative strategies and inspiring message, Jackie Handy is helping businesses create environments where employees are truly engaged and motivated.

She was named the National Speaker of the Year 2022 and Regional Speaker of the Year 2023 by the Professional Speaking Association, and received a Highly Commended Award at the 2025 Speaker Awards for Best Storyteller.

Described as a ‘master of taking the audience on a journey’, Jackie’s talks spark curiosity and unlock compassion. Not only will she have you on the edge of your seat, but she’ll leave you with practical tools for improving leadership and productivity.

Jackie Handy | Beyond the Mountain, Navigating Changing Leadership Landscapes Keynote

Communication skills are consistently rated as the most important ‘soft skill’ required for leaders. Yet in the world of AI, interactive messages, and online meetings, we risk losing the art of meaningful interactions. Today, leaders need to connect at a human level. With workforce engagement at an all-time low, emotional intelligence, understanding, and interconnectedness are vital to wellbeing, productivity, and team cohesion.

Delivered as an interactive conference or team session, Jackie shares the connection between her long-distant treks and leadership success. Combining stories, activities, and the latest research, she will help you see beyond the daily obstacles in team management to leave you with fresh perspectives and the tools to create lasting positive change.

Who Needs This Keynote?

– Organisations who are preparing for, or experiencing change, who want to increase engagement, improve service delivery, and build performance

– Companies who want to reduce staff turnover and strengthen team cohesion

– Organisations who are passionate about inclusion and wellbeing, looking to demonstrate how they value their people in day-to-day interactions

What Will the Audience Learn?

– How to be more human as a leader without losing credibility

– The part your DASH plays in building meaningful connections and psychologically safe teams

– Why unlocking your story increases sales and improves service delivery

– How to pack light as a people leader and to always sweat the small stuff

Jackie Handy | The Heart of the Matter Keynote

In a world dominated by AI, automation, and analytics, it’s never been more crucial for leaders to lead with heart as well as head. While digital innovation drives efficiency, it’s human connection that drives engagement, performance, and trust.

Human-centered leadership is not about being soft, it’s about being smart, it’s about recognising that behind every productivity stat is a person with a story. One that, when understood, can promote innovation, loyalty, and resilience.

Jackie explores how leaders can navigate business challenges while staying grounded in what matters most: people. Drawing on her own experience, global research, and professional expertise, she combines heartfelt storytelling with practical tools to help you create workplaces where humanity and high performance go hand in hand.

Who Needs This Keynote?

– Organisations grappling with the impact of hybrid work, AI disruption, and digital transformation on staff engagement

– Leadership teams looking to build deeper trust, psychological safety, and inclusion

– Companies evolving their leadership culture to reflect the values of a diverse and future-focussed workforce

What Will the Audience Learn?

– What human-centered leadership is and why it’s the competitive advantage of the future

– How to bring empathy, curiosity, and connection into your everyday leadership strategy

– Practical actions to strengthen the psychological safety and belonging, creating space for people to thrive and innovate.

Jackie Handy | The Power of Inclusion Keynote 

The need to feel valued in the workplace matters. Not only is there a moral case, but companies reap substantial bottom-line benefits if workers feel like they belong. Research by the Harvard Business Review showed that belonging was linked to a whopping 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days. Yet, as many as 36% of people feel isolated and undervalued at work.

Diversity and inclusion work is crucial, yet organisations struggle to understand how to create welcoming workplace environments where everyone can thrive. Jackie Handy is a dynamic presenter and captivating storyteller who specialises in workforce engagement and belonging.

With an extensive background in executive recruitment, leadership, and inclusion, Jackie has become a sought-after speaker known for her engaging and thought-provoking style. By sharing her lived experience of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she will help demystify this topic and show how small changes can have a big impact on workplace culture.

Who Needs This Keynote?

– Organisations committed to creating an inclusive culture for all their employees.

– Companies who value diversity and want to strengthen their internal offering by hearing an external perspective.

– Organisations who care about staff wellbeing and want to engage and retain a motivated, resilient and productive workforce.

What Will the Audience Learn?

– They will understand why we need to lean back from unconscious bias and lean into conscious inclusion.

– They will uncover the part privilege plays in enhancing belonging at work.

– They will be empowered to get it right rather than being fearful of mistakes.

– They will recognise the impact inclusion and belonging have on organisational success and be given the tools to get started.

Jackie Handy | The Path to Better Conversations Keynote

Communication skills are consistently rated as the most important ‘soft skill’ required for leaders in the workplace. The ability to facilitate powerful conversations with your team members results in a sustainable return on investment. If you can engage your teams, you improve wellbeing, inclusion and performance.

With fewer than 20% of workers globally feeling actively engaged in their work, the modern workplace needs valuable conversations more than ever to help combat burnout, increase productivity and strengthen team cohesion.

Jackie Handy is a dynamic presenter and a captivating storyteller who delves into workforce engagement, leadership, and belonging. With an extensive background in executive recruitment, leadership, and inclusion, Jackie has become a sought-after speaker known for her engaging and thought-provoking style.

Drawing lessons from her 500-mile Camino hike across northwest Spain, she will show how the power of better conversations builds confidence, deepens understanding, and helps navigate changing landscapes in an ever-changing world.

Who Needs This Keynote?

– Organisations that are preparing for or experiencing change and want to increase engagement and performance.

– Companies who want to reduce staff turnover and strengthen team cohesion.

– Organisations that are passionate about inclusion and wellbeing looking to demonstrate how they value their people in day-to-day interactions.

What Will the Audience Learn?

– They will learn how to spot the signs of disengagement and isolation.

– They will learn how to unlock team potential through intentional conversations, increase sales figures, and improve service delivery.

– They will learn the Pilgrim Principles for meaningful connections that transcend tech barriers, resulting in more cohesive teams with greater collaboration.

– They will recognise the power of connection on motivation and team performance.

Why Book Jackie Handy?

Jackie Handy has become a sought-after keynote speaker, not just for her down-to-earth and personable delivery, but for the transformative impact of her presentations. Her deep knowledge into workforce culture, coupled with her engaging style, leaves audiences with aha moments and powerful insights that can be taken away to create real, impactful workplace change.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book inclusion thought-leader, podcast host and speaker Jackie Handy.  Contact us.