

Author of the ‘The Mother of all Jobs’ & Adviser on the Future of Work
“A speaker who will make you think differently, question your assumptions and hang on her every word, while laughing helplessly.” William Eccleshare, Chairman and CEO, Clear Channel International
Biography
Christine Armstrong is obsessed with research into the world of work. She writes, speaks and vlogs on what the trends and data tell us is and isn’t working. This includes:
- The six current models of work and how to make them actually work in practice
- Resolving the productivity paradox
- Managing cognitive overload & communications overwhelm
- How to attract and retain the best talent
- What ‘flexibility’ and ‘work life balance’ really mean
- New models of leadership
She was recently named 6th out of the top 50 Future of Work influencers in the world and is known for being fact-led, high energy and genuinely funny. She will leave your audience with new insight, practical actions and tangible take aways to share with their peers, teams and leaders. A communications and leadership consultant, Christine is a highly engaging, humorous speaker who has done keynotes on the battle with ‘hours cultures,’ the lies we tell about flexible work and what to do about workplace bullying.
She is also the author of ‘The Mother of All Jobs’, which explores how work has changed in the last 20 years and the pressure this has created. Christine’s book was a finalist in the Business Book of the Year Awards 2019, featured as the cover story of the Sunday Times Magazine and has appeared in over 100 articles worldwide. She also writes regularly for The Times and Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, Management Today, Grazia and Red, and has been on the BBC and Women’s Hour.
As a speaker, she gives keynotes but is also a very experienced host, MC and facilitator. Whatever her role, she never fails to surprise and engage, bringing colour, energy and even a touch of drama in her efforts to share actionable insights in ways that resonate with her audience.
Could you scream for all the talking about change, only for it to never to actually happen? Whether it’s decades of discussing senior women at work, being more environmentally sustainable, breaking down organisational silos, creating a working culture that is more innovative, happier or plain old more productive….
We are trapped in an endless loop of talking about change before going straight back to working exactly as we did before. This is not anecdotal, research shows that since the 1970s 60-70% of change programmes have sailed.
After twenty-five years working in organisations trying – and mostly failing to change – and seven years interviewing people for her recent book, Christine knows why. In her talk, she explores the common mistakes we all make: from relying on facts, to letting enthusiasts take charge to assuming those who say nothing agree to lumping big groups of people together and imagining they think the same.
Topics
You may want to go deeper into a topic for your audience. The keynote topics can be tailored and developed to suit your audience needs, be it a 90-minute Masterclass, a half-day or full-day workshop or a full online or face-to-face programme. Please contact one of our expert team to discuss.
Shining bright or burning out?
The newest research into increasing energy, happiness and productivity at work.
Productivity is nose-diving while burnout is rocketing. Business leaders contend with uncertainty and overwhelm while their teams struggle with disconnect, disruption and disharmony. How do we find our way through these challenges that blind us from emerging trends, cloud our decision-making, and extinguish our inner flame?
Christine carries the torch to help your teams find the light. In her new series of interactive, one-off talks, she explores the latest research on managing energy for ourselves and others, overcoming conflict, vanquishing micro-stressors, and how finding ‘glimmers’ – tiny reminders of joy, peace and happiness and kindling for their phoenix – can help team members restore their energy and super-charge their productivity.
Laced with self-deprecating humour, a joie de vivre, and practical takeaways, Christine’s talks are tailored specifically for the audience; melding the research and scientific evidence with her own experiences of emerging from dark times. Consistently ranked as one of the top speakers at events and conferences, your teams will leave educated, entertained, and well-equipped to survive – and thrive – in the emerging workplace of today – and tomorrow.
She absolutely promises that she will not, at any point, recommend Feel Good Fridays, walking meetings or mindfulness apps.
Velvet Power – The New Work Principle for Productive Teams
In the aftermath of Covid, power swung away from managers and into the hands of employees as many rolled out a version of hybrid that partly worked and partly didn’t. Now many leaders want to stabilise working patterns and improve productivity. This presentation is practical, energetic and laced with lived-experiences you will recognise. Audiences can expect to leave armed with current trends, national and international data, and the courage to make the changes you want to make in your organisation.
Beyond the Choir – Why You’re Not Having the Conversations that Would Change Your Business
In this talk, Christine breaks down these mistakes into practical, do-able takeaways that anyone can apply to any organisational change, no matter how large or small their organisation or the change they want to see.
Powerful Presence: Unlock the Magic
Many of us quietly dread presenting. Yet know it is key to our success. Christine has spent the last 10 years speaking all over the world and has learnt the hard way what works, what doesn’t, and all the tools to be unforgettable. This highly interactive, practical and outcome-driven session will change how you speak forever. As an international Finance Director said after attending this talk, “I went home, changed the words, tone and format of what I planned to say the next morning and cannot thank Christine enough for the difference it made”.
Christine’s other speaking topics include
- Women and Work
- The Gender Pay Gap
- The #MeToo movement
- Bullying in the Workplace, and How to Deal With It
Videos
Resources
Books

Testimonials
“Christine is a rare speaker, an inspiring pragmatist. She cuts through the noise of the Working Women discussion and tells it like it really is, with brutality wrapped in humour and empathy.” Sonya Lennon, Designer, Broadcaster and Social Entrepreneur
“Christine was absolutely amazing: a warm, funny and engaging speaker. The feedback has all reflected that.” Natalie Goldwater, Senior Producer, BBC
‘When I am looking for someone who is going to simultaneously engage the audience and challenge their thinking then Christine is perfect. She has spoken for me with audiences of colleagues, senior executive level clients and rising talented women. Christine is really incredible at watching people and seeing below their skin, and above their heads, at what is really going on and bringing it to life in a practical way.” Linda Ellett FIA, Partner, KPMG
“You were brilliant. Some well-intentioned speakers are dull/samey/poor. It’s a shame on such an important and pervasive topic. You were the opposite – utterly engaging, funny and incisive. I thought what we were talking about was the important stuff and if it is done well – as it was – the conversations continue well after the talk.” Colin Gibson, Partner, Fieldfisher
“Christine absolutely understood our clients’ challenges and gave practical guidance and ideas on how to approach them. It led to many of us reaching for our Amazon app to buy her book. It is so good to hear from someone who gets the challenges for employers and is able to guide them through instead of adding to their burden.”
Caroline Noblet, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
“Christine combines sharp business insight with practical solutions and the ability to command the total attention of the room.”
Richard Robinson, Managing Partner, Econsultancy
“Combining intelligent insight with hilarious anecdotes, Christine never fails to deliver a knock-out speech that entertains, educates and changes how we see the world.” Kate Bassett, head of content at Management Today and Chair of Inspiring Women
“A speaker who will make you think differently, question your assumptions and hang on her every word, while laughing helplessly.”
William Eccleshare, Chiarman and CEO, Clear Channel International