Adam Markel

Adam Markel

Keynote Speaker: Resilience Researcher, Future of Work and Change Management Expert; #1 WSJ Bestselling Author of "PIVOT" and "Change Proof: Leveraging Uncertainty to Build Long-Term Resilience"

Adam Markel Biography

Adam Markel is a transformational business leader, workforce futurist, and resilience researcher who has spent over two decades guiding Fortune 500 companies and global enterprises through change, culture transformation and sustainable growth.

As a seasoned C-suite executive, former commercial attorney and capability builder working with Fortune 50 companies like Citigroup, CVS Health and Home Depot, Markel brings real- world business acumen to every engagement. He built a successful multi-discipline law practice spanning nearly twenty years, giving him deep insight into high-stakes decision- making, risk management and strategic negotiations. His leadership extends to mentoring dozens of CEOs and senior executives globally on organizational development, culture creation and strategic resilience.

A Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling author and Publishers Weekly bestseller, Markel has written influential books including "Pivot," "Change Proof" and "Re-Culture," essential reads for leaders navigating today's volatile business landscape. The Huffington Post named him a top speaker to see.

Markel's keynotes and executive workshops seamlessly integrate proven business strategies, neuroscience research, and organizational psychology to drive measurable results.

Markel’s powerful delivery style, combining strategic insight with compelling storytelling, creates transformative learning experiences that resonate from boardroom to front lines.

As a TEDx speaker and host of The Change Proof Podcast, Markel shares cutting-edge strategies with business innovators worldwide. His messages have inspired tens of thousands of organizations to reimagine what's possible when resilience becomes embedded in organizational DNA.

Markel is Co-Founder & Chief Researcher at WORKWELL, where he leads research on workplace resilience and the future of work. His strategies help organizations become truly Change Proof, avoid burnout and turn uncertainty into competitive advantage.

Markel's leadership philosophy is informed by his executive experience and life-and-death lessons as an ocean first responder, where teamwork, rapid decision-making, and unwavering resilience were non-negotiable.

Markel is grounded by his wife of over 30 years and their four children.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Adam Markel and other top speakers and celebrities.

Adam Markel Speaking Topics

Adapt to Win: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Resilience to Lead Change and 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.

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.

The Change-Proof Advantage: How to Turn Adversity into Growth, Agility & Innovation

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.

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.

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.

Adam Markel Videos

Adam Markel's Speaker Bureau Demo Reel
Adam Markel - Unlock Your Potential
Adam Markel - The BS on Balance

How do I book Adam Markel to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Adam Markel for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Adam Markel, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Adam Markel or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Adam Markel for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Adam Markel, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Adam Markel are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Adam Markel, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Adam Markel speak about?

Adam Markel is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Author, Education, Educational Motivational, Business Leadership, Inspirational, Motivational, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Overcoming Adversity, Resilience, Leadership, Corporate Culture, Business, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Workshop, Future of Work, Futurism, TED, Change Management, Work-Life Balance, Happiness, Stress Management, Mental Health, Psychology, Social Sciences, Personal Growth, Emotional Intelligence, Mindset and Innovation.

Where does Adam Markel travel from?

Adam Markel generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Adam Markel?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Adam Markel for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Adam Markel for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Adam Markel or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Adam Markel is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Author, Education and Educational Motivational. The estimated speaking fee range to book Adam Markel for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Adam Markel generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Eric Boles, Libby Gill and Dan Thurmon. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Adam Markel for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 29/01/2026.

Adam Markel Speaking Topics

  • Adapt to Win: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Resilience to Lead Change and 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.

  • 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.

  • The Change-Proof Advantage: How to Turn Adversity into Growth, Agility & Innovation

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Adam Markel Videos

Adam Markel's Speaker Bureau Demo Reel
Adam Markel - Unlock Your Potential
Adam Markel - The BS on Balance
Adam Markel - Operationalizing Resilience
Adam Markel - The #1 Growth Principle

Adam Markel Reviews

  • Hussey Seating Company - Sep 26 2025

  • CVS Health - Apr 01 2025

  • National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) - Feb 03 2025

  • How do I book Adam Markel to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Adam Markel for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Adam Markel, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Adam Markel or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Adam Markel for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Adam Markel, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Adam Markel are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Adam Markel, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Adam Markel speak about?

  • Where does Adam Markel travel from?

    Adam Markel generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Adam Markel?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Adam Markel for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Adam Markel for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Adam Markel or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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