Kay Formanek MBA

Diversity | Talent | Leadership

Kay Formanek is passionate about how inclusive diversity delivers exceptional performance. She is an internationally sought-after speaker, advisor, author, and coach with over 35 years of experience across the corporate and non-profit sectors. She specializes in culture, leadership, and inclusion, and is the author of the leading book Beyond D&I: Leading Diversity with Purpose and Inclusiveness.

Employability:: Chairperson of the day, Keynote speaker, Masterclass
Languages:: Dutch, English
Regions:: Europe, Africa
Categories:: Arts Culture & Lifestyle

Behavioral Science

Change Management

Diversity & Inclusion

Emancipation

Entrepreneurship

Generations

Governance & Management

Inclusive Organizational Culture

Individual development

Leadership & Strategy

Lifestyle

Millennials

Neuroscience

Organizational Culture

Personal Leadership

Psychology

Successful Entrepreneurs

Sustainable Employability

Teamwork

Work Happiness

Work-life balance

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30 years matching events with the right speakers
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50,000+ satisfied clients worldwide

About Kay Formanek

Kay Formanek is a highly sought-after international speaker, advisor, author, and coach, with more than 35 years of experience in both the commercial and non-profit sectors. She focuses on culture, leadership, and inclusion, and is the author of Beyond D&I: Leading Diversity with Purpose and Inclusiveness, regarded as a leading book in this field.

Her background—growing up in South Africa during apartheid and working across a wide range of cultures—gives her a unique perspective on group dynamics, exclusion, and what it takes to achieve true inclusion. This experience forms the foundation of her focus on the connection between diverse talent, inclusive leadership, and sustainable organizational performance.

Kay blends research-based insights with practical tools, neuroscience, and compelling storytelling. She coaches leaders worldwide on how to leverage diverse talent and build environments in which people can thrive.

Whether delivering a keynote or facilitating an interactive workshop, Kay knows how to inspire her audience and move them to action. She effortlessly connects theory with practice, leaving participants with clear insights and concrete tools to translate inclusive diversity into real results. She creates a setting where participants feel comfortable exploring challenging topics.

Topics

1. Building Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is not about harmony — it’s about creating a space for feedback, disagreement, learning, and high performance. Kay draws on Amy Edmondson’s work, illustrated with real-world case studies, to help leaders and teams recognize when psychological safety is weak and how to restore it.

Formats: Keynote or Workshop
2. Inclusive Leadership

Diverse perspectives translate into performance only in inclusive environments. Kay examines the leadership behaviors that create (or destroy) inclusive cultures, showing that leaders account for over 70 % of how inclusive an environment is perceived. She offers diagnostic tools and leadership practices to embed inclusion in everyday work.

Formats: Keynote or Workshop.
3. Allyship & Responding to Microaggressions

Allyship is action — using your positional advantages (experience, voice, network) to support others facing barriers. Kay unpacks the notion of allyship through stories, self-assessments (the “ally continuum”), and concrete tactics. The session includes exploration of microaggressions, in-group/out-group dynamics, and how observers can “call in” or “call out” constructively.

Formats: Keynote or Workshop
4. Strategic Narrative for Diversity & Inclusion

Many organizations struggle with backlash or vague D&I efforts because the “why” is not clearly tied to mission and strategy. Kay helps organizations articulate the strategic case for diversity — linking inclusion with innovation, decision-making, retention, and mission. She shares examples from commercial and non-profit sectors.

Formats: Keynote or Workshop
5. Neuroscience of Unconscious Bias & Mitigation

Bias is a normal human function; recognizing that is the first step. Kay explores System 1 / System 2 thinking, common biases in talent and decision-making, and methods to detect and mitigate bias at individual, team, and systemic levels. She also leads a certification track in bias mitigation for those who want deeper training.

Formats: Keynote, Workshop, or Multi-session Learning Track.