Karen BlackettFormer UK President of WPP and CEO of GroupM

Karen Blackett is a prolific leader in the global media landscape, formerly serving as the UK President of WPP and CEO of WPP Media (formerly GroupM). During her tenure as CEO of MediaCom UK, she managed a workforce of 1,100 people and oversaw billings exceeding £1.2 billion. Her strategic direction led the agency to secure £790 million in new business, including the landmark acquisition of the Tesco account. This exceptional performance resulted in MediaCom UK being named Campaign magazine’s Agency of the Year for two consecutive years. Deeply committed to cultural evolution and workplace health, Karen serves as the President of NABS and is a non-executive board member for the Cabinet Office. Her influence extends to roles as a UKTI Business Ambassador and a member of the Creative England board. Her recent professional focus continues to shape the industry through her advocacy for representative media investment and the development of more inclusive business environments. She has been consistently recognised by the Telegraph, Ad Age, and Debrett's as one of the most powerful figures in modern business. Karen is highly sought after by corporate audiences for her expertise in driving commercial growth while fostering resilient, diverse cultures. She provides a sophisticated perspective on leadership, empathy, and maintaining high performance within the demanding media and marketing sectors. On stage, Karen Blackett is best known for talks on Branding & Marketing, Wellbeing, Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion and Reputation. Audiences leave with a clear, practical view of the subject rather than a generic overview — every keynote is shaped around the brief and the room. Their work resonates with leaders across Business & Consulting and Marketing & Brand, where the themes translate directly into team decisions, customer experience and growth strategy. Karen Blackett is regularly booked for Business Speaker, adapting tone, length and format to suit the event — from a 20-minute opener to a full conference keynote with Q&A. Based in UK, Karen Blackett travels internationally for engagements. To check availability or request a tailored brief for your event, send an enquiry and we'll come back with fees, dates and a short summary of how Karen Blackett would approach your audience.