Enter the 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards - Deadline: February 25, 2026
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The Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers 2026

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The #Engagement101 celebrates the contributions of thought leaders from all areas of business, including the boardroom, HR, Internal Communications, Finance, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, who have made significant strides in the development of creating people first organizations. 

From those who inspire action, educate, and recognize, to those who wield influence via social media or innovate fresh ways to engage people, all 101 influencers share a deep passion for enhancing the employee experience and as an output, engagement.

This list has been curated with input from contributors across the globe, ensuring that the #Engagement101 reflects the diverse perspectives and insights of the global business community. Each year, the list will be updated to reflect the latest developments in the field and to recognize the innovative contributions of those who are advancing employee engagement.

Select members of #Engagement101 will be invited to speak at both online and offline events, providing opportunities to draw inspiration from their thinking and engage face-to-face. In collaboration with this influential community, we will create valuable outputs for the wider world of work, including guides, ebooks, webinars, and more in 2026 and beyond.

Thanks to our 2026 supporter, Thrive. The LMS platform that does more.

You can see the full 2026 #Engagement101 List below – listed in alphabetical order.

  • Mike Adams

    Chief Executive Officer

    Purple

  • Bryan Adams

    CEO & Founder | 2x Best-Selling Author | TEDx Speaker

    Happydance Careers

  • Ashraf Al Eid

    Founder | Author I KeynoteSpeaker | HR Advisor & Consultant

    ASHRAF HR Innovation Strategies Foundation

  • Marissa Andrada

    Board Director

    Krispy Kreme

  • David Beeney

    Founder

    Breaking The Silence

  • Helen Bissett

    Founder, Managing Director

    H&H Agency

  • Steve Boese

    Co-Founder

    H3 HR Advisors

  • Bruce Bolger

    President

    Enterprise Engagement Alliance

  • Dr Juliet Bourke

    Human Capital Advisor | Board Member | Professor of Practice

    UNSW Business School

  • Tracy Brower, PhD

    VP, Workplace Insight | Author | Senior Contributor at Forbes

    Steelcase

  • Rob Catalano

    Chief Engagement Officer & Co Founder

    WorkTango Inc.

  • Srikant Chellappa

    CEO and Co-Founder

    Engagedly

  • Angela Cheng-Cimini

    CHRO | Board Director | AAPI Champion | Keynote Speaker

    The Chronicle of Philanthropy

  • Dawn Christian

    CEO | Executive Coach | Founder | TEDx Speaker

    Belong by Dawn Christian

  • Laura Cooke

    Co-Founder & CEO

    Positive Foundry

  • Debra Corey

    Chief 'Pay it Forward' Officer | Global Speaker | 6x Best-Selling Author

    Step It Up HR

  • Zech Dahms

    President | Employee Experience Expert & Culture Strategist

    achieve Engagement

  • Bruce Daisley

    LinkedIn Top Voice on Work & Workplace Culture | 2x Sunday Times Bestseller | Keynote speaker

    Eat Sleep Work Repeat

  • Kara Dennison

    Executive Career & Leadership Coach | CEO

    Optimized Career Solutions

  • Joseph Dicianno, Ph.D., MBA

    Director, Talent Management and Organizational Development | Author

    UPMC

  • David Ducheyne

    Founder and Managing Partner

    Otolith

  • Chris Dyer

    Keynote Speaker | Author | Chief Executive Officer

    Chris P Dyer | Hopetape

  • Amy Edmondson

    Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management

    Harvard Business School

  • Brian Elliott

    CEO | Exec | Speaker & Bestselling Author

    Work Forward | Charter

  • Chester Elton

    Partner | Founder | Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker

    The Culture Works

  • Gifty Enright

    Director | Tech Leader | Keynote Speaker | Coach

    BUSINESSSCOPE CONSULTANCY

  • Ben Eubanks

    Founder | Chief Research Officer | Bestselling Author | Speaker

    HR Tech Awards | Lighthouse Research & Advisory

  • Jenni Field

    Founder and Director

    Redefining Communications

  • Craig Forman

    Founder & Principal Consultant | Culture Strategist | Keynote Speaker (SXSW 2021/22) | Podcast Host

    CultureC Consulting

  • Anne Fulton

    Founder & Chief Executive Officer

    Fuel50

  • Tara Furiani

    Chief People Officer

    Not the HR Lady

  • Chuck Gose

    Head of Community & Industry Insights

    Firstup, ICology

  • Adam Grant

    Organizational psychologist at Wharton, #1 NYT bestselling author

    host of the TED podcast WorkLife

  • Risha Grant

    D&I Speaker, Author, Consultant, Host

    Risha Talks Series

  • Anita Grantham

    Operating Partner

    PHX Ventures

  • Erin Grau

    Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer | Head of Operations & Managing Director

    Charter | The San Francisco Standard

  • Mark Green

    Founder

    Change Rebellion

  • Dr. Jerry Gule

    Director | Coach | Chairperson of Boards

    Gule Executive Coaching

  • Lance Haun

    VP Market Insights

    TSC | Previously The Starr Conspiracy

  • Lizzie Henson

    Founder/Owner

    HR Ninjas

  • Julia Hobsbawm OBE

    Founder & CEO | Consultant | Author

    WORKATHON

  • Christie Hoffman

    Founder | Get OUT of Reactive HR

    Corporate Christie

  • April Homer

    Chief People Officer

    Cooper Parry

  • Angela R. Howard

    Founder | Culture Executive & Community Builder

    Call for Culture

  • Nicky Hoyland

    Chief Innovation Officer

    Auspicious Group

  • Minola Jac

    Global Change & Transformation Lead | Change Enthusiast | Author "Everyday Inspiration for Change (EIFC)"

    Syngenta Group

  • Samara Jaffe

    Co-Founder & GM | Connector & Bridge Builder | Board Member | Advisor

    Transform Media

  • Emma Jordaan

    CEO | Cultural Intelligence Expert | Author of Dubai Decoded | Trainer | TEDx Speaker | Podcaster

    Infinite Consulting

  • Manmohan S. Kalsy

    Chief Human Resources Officer

    Inbrew Beverages Private Limited

  • David Kasperson

    Director of Speed of Trust Speaking & Business Development

    Franklin Covey

  • Jill Katz

    Chief Human Resources Officer

    Assemble HR Consulting

  • Georgina Kelly

    Founder | HR Most Influential #3 2025, #2 2024 #14 2023

    GK HR Networks

  • Ali Killaly

    Founding Director | Executive Coaching and Career Counselling for Parents and Workplaces

    Workpants | Inspiring Workplaces

  • Jessica Kriegel

    Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture

    Culture Partners

  • Jason Lauritsen

    Speaker, Author

    www.JasonLauritsen.com

  • Josh Levine

    Partner, Author

    Great Mondays

  • Chris Littlefield

    Keynote Speaker & Founder

    Beyond Thank You

  • Meghan M. Biro

    Founder

    TalentCulture

  • James Malia

    President - UK & Europe

    Prezzee

  • Scott McInness

    Founder and Director

    Inspiring Change

  • Riaz Meghji

    Human Connection Speaker | Author | Moderator

    Riaz Meghji Inc.

  • Ryan McGrory

    Founder | Managing Director (Australasia) | Experience and Wellbeing Advisor

    exsona | Inspiring Workplaces | Workpants

  • Rachel Miller

    Founder | Author | Keynote Speaker

    All Things IC

  • Tshepo Yvonne Mosadi

    Chief People Officer

    Chief People Officer

  • Jennifer Moss

    International Speaker, Journalist, Author

    Jennifer Moss Inc.

  • Gethin Nadin

    Psychologist, bestselling author and CIO

    Benefex

  • Dr. Amanda Nimon-Peters

    Professor of Leadership

    Hult International Business School

  • Misty J. Oratokhai Esq.

    Chief Operating Officer

    National Children's Center

  • Jody Ordioni

    Chief Brand Officer and President

    Brandemix

  • Carina Parisella

    Tribe Lead, Head of Technology Workforce

    ANZ

  • Joanna Parsons

    CEO | Top 10 LinkedIn Creators in Ireland

    The Curious Route

  • Advita Patel

    CIPR President 2025 | Director

    CommsRebel | A Leader Like Me

  • Dan Riley

    Co-Founder | Keynote Speaker

    RADICL

  • Russell Robinson

    Founder | Associate Professor

    Amplified Research | American University

  • Enrique Rubio

    Founder | Head of Global Community

    Hacking HR | Transform

  • Steph Ryter

    Creative Culture Leader

    Arity

  • Asif Sadiq

    Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

    Warner Bros. Discovery

  • Alexandra Samuel

    Keynote Speaker & Author

    Remote, Inc.:How to Thrive at Work...Wherever You Are

  • Céline Schillinger

    Founder, CEO | Author of 'Dare to Un-Lead'

    We Need Social

  • Lars Schmidt

    Founder & CEO | Head of Talent

    Amplify Talent | Agrovision

  • Marcel Schwantes

    Founder & Chief Human Officer

    Leadership from the Core

  • Alex Seiler

    Founder | Chief People Officer

    Alex Seiler LLC

  • Vanessa Shaw

    Coach, Executive & Board Leadership

    Momentous.work

  • Hannah Irfan Siddiqui

    Founder & Managing Principal | Organizational Culture Consultant | Speaker

    Kaleidoscope-DEI-Consulting

  • Gregory F. Simpson

    Managing Director

    Agent in Engagement

  • Brett Smyth

    CEO & Founder

    The Engage Group

  • Dan Sodergren

    Keynote & TedxTalk speaker on the future of work Expert &

    guest on national TV / radio and podcasts

  • Tracie Sponenberg

    Founder, Chief People Officer

    Tracie Sponenberg LLC

  • Mildred Talabi

    Personal Branding Coach, Speaker & Trainer

    LinkedIn

  • Gustavo Tavares

    Latam Ambassador and Judge

    Inspiring Workplaces

  • Bruce Temkin

    Chief Humanity Catalyst | Keynote Speaker

    temkinsight

  • Perry Timms

    Founder and Chief Energy Officer

    PTHR

  • Hassan Tirmizi

    OD&D Maverick | Global HR Thought Leader | People & Culture Architect

    Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo B.S.C (c)

  • Sean Trainor

    Founding Partner

    Salient

  • Kristina Vaneva

    Head of EX, Engagement and Internal Comms

    Beyond Employee Engagement Consultancy

  • Karin Volo

    CEO, Director

    Evoloshen

  • Jeff Waldman

    Founder & Principal

    ScaleHR

  • Nika White

    DEI Practitioner, Antiracism Activist

    Speaker/Facilitator, Best Selling Author

  • Melody Wilding

    Best-selling Author & Executive Coach

    Workplace Mental Health Keynote Speaker

  • Gamiel Yafai

    Founder & CEO

    Diversity Marketplace

  • Heather R. Younger

    2x TEDx International Female Keynote Speaker | Author | LinkedIn Learning Instructor

    Employee Fanatix

  • Hebba Youseff

    Chief People Officer

    Workweek